A Southland woman has been prosecuted by SPCA after she docked the tails of eight Rottweiler puppies using docking bands.

Taylor Hall pleaded guilty to eight charges of docking the tail of a dog and was sentenced at Invercargill District Court on Thursday last week. She was ordered to pay a fine of $1000 to SPCA.

“Tail Docking is illegal and people who persist using this outdated practice will be investigated with a view to prosecute,” says Andrea Midgen, SPCA CEO.

“Docking the tail of a dog has the potential to cause significant immediate pain and distress, and to cause other complications such as infection and loss of tail function. Moreover, tail docking is only able to be legally performed by a veterinarian or vet student under supervision, and only for therapeutic purposes, not for breed specific or cosmetic purposes. Dogs must be given pain relief at the time of docking, too.”

“Changing the body of an animal for cosmetic reasons is unacceptable, and out of step with modern times.”

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