Docking tails on dogs subject to new legislation in Northern Ireland

national | animal rights | press release

Wednesday February 13, 2013 11:47

by Bernie Wright - Alliance For animal Rights AFAR

0872651720

Docking tails must be banned in Ireland.

Good news from Northern Ireland . AFAR is delighted in The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) stance in updating the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to ban any dog docked after this date from being shown in Northern Ireland. Dogs docked before this date may still be shown under current legislation.

Sadly this was not implemented in previous years as Docking dogs tails is akin to chopping a humans finger off. But only docked ‘after’ 1 /1 /13, -we applaud this but hope that Irish Legislation will fall in line with this in the upcoming Animal health and Welfare Bill. Mutilating dogs for aesthetic reasons should hold custodial sentences and is a serious animal violation.

Bernie Wright.
Press AFAR.
0872651720

KENNEL CLUB PR BELOW/THEY DISAGREE WITH OUR STANCE ON THIS OF COURSE!!!

RULE CHANGE FOR SHOWING DOCKED DOGS IN NORTHERN IRELAND
The Kennel Club would like to inform exhibitors in Northern Ireland that dogs docked in the country after 1st January 2013 are no longer eligible to be shown at events where the exhibitor pays an entry fee or members of the public pay an admittance fee.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has updated the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 to ban any dog docked after this date from being shown in Northern Ireland. Dogs docked before this date may still be shown under current legislation.

The Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 Section 12 states that: ‘A person commits an offence if – (a) that person shows a dog at an event for which that person pays a fee or to which members of the public are admitted on payment of a fee, (b) the dog’s tail has been wholly or partly removed (in Northern Ireland or elsewhere), and (c) the removal took place after the coming into operation of this section.’

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “The Kennel Club has opposed the creation of an offence to enter lawfully docked dogs at any show at which the public pay an entrance fee, and believes the showing ban on dogs which have had their tails amputated in the best interests of their welfare, is unfair and unnecessary.

“However, the Kennel Club is of course obliged to follow DARD’s regulations and will therefore be including the new rules in show schedules for all Kennel Club licensed shows in Northern Ireland.”

All show schedules for Kennel Club licensed shows in Northern Ireland will now include the following:

“A dog which had its tail docked on or after 1st January 2013 cannot be shown at events where the exhibitor pays a fee or members of the public pay an admittance fee.”

For more information or clarification on the updated legislation, please contact the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture and Rural Development by visiting http://www.dardni.gov.uk, emailing dardhelpline@dardni.gov.uk or alternatively telephone 0300 200 7840.