BIRMINGHAM animal rights campaigners are calling on the Government to outlaw dog tail docking, claiming 75 per cent of the public would support a ban.
The practice, which involves severing a puppy's tail, has been branded abhorrent by vets and the RSPCA, who are urging MPs to condemn docking during a parliamentary debate on the Animal Welfare Bill.
Pro-docking lobbyist and dog owners argue the procedure prevents tail damage in certain breeds of dogs.
But Prof David Morton, head of the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at the University of Birmingham, said amputations on most dogs are painful.
"The logic that it is an act of preventative medicine is beguiling," he said.
"Why not also apply it to ears that may become damaged, or even to legs to prevent injury?"
Dr Freda Scott-Park, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The argument that dogs' tails should be docked to prevent future injury is spurious."
But retired police officer Nigel Rallings, secretary treasurer of the Midland Boxer Club, disputed the procedure was harmful and said most dog owners would never willing hurt their animals.
"As a club we don't think it should be banned," he said. "We are in favour of freedom of choice, it's been the status quo for a long time and we would like it to remain that way," added Mr Rallings, who owns eight boxer dogs.
