Crossposted from my vets' post on Facebook today:

Anicare Veterinary Group
Irish Times editorial on tail docking: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...326524972.html

The Animal Health and Welfare Bill will be before the Dail again shortly. It appears that Minister Coveney is under significant pressure from some rural organisations to legislate for tail docking in working breeds of dogs (eg spaniels and pointers). The logic here is that it will prevent these dogs from suffering tail injuries when hunting, etc. However there is a body of evidence that working dogs do not have any increased risk of tail injury compared to non-working pet dogs, so the logic here is flawed, and a decision to permit routine tail docking in an breeds would not be supported by scientific evidence. In addition to this Veterinary Ireland, the Veterinary Council of Ireland and FECAVA (Federation of European Companion Animal Associations) support a ban on all non-therapeutic tail docking in dogs.

If you would like to support a ban on tail docking in dogs you could contact your local TDs to let them know. A full list of email addresses for members of the 31st Dail is available here: http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp...Fdocument1.htm
Please take the time to contact your TDs -- the rural lobby has been well organised to try and limit puppy farm legislation and allow for carted stag hunting (hunts with part domestic stags carted to a hunt site, antlers sawn off so no way to defend themselves, then pursued with dog packs . A very ugly, cruel way to 'hunt' which has been video'd for YouTube (as the stag is attacked by the dogs, which they say never happens; farmers' fences are damaged, and huntsmen several times, kick their dogs, too -- all truly disgusting).