Argument Essay
There has been a controversy about ear cropping and tail docking on dogs for quite some time now. Even though the procedures were done for good intentions at first, it has now turned into unnecessary surgeries done on animals, especially dogs. According to the Animal Legal and Historical Center, about 130,000 puppies go through an unnecessary cosmetic surgery in the United States each year. Ear cropping and tail docking both have their risks and should not be done to a dog for the sole purpose of suiting someone’s idea of beauty.
Ear cropping is the removal of the pinnae, the visible flap of the ear, which is usually done to a puppy of six to twelve weeks old. If not done right, the dog will experience pain and discomfort after
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the surgery. People will argue that at that age puppies will not remember the pain and will only hurt them for a short time, but according to anatomical studies “the number of nerve endings in newborn puppy may equal, or even exceed that of adult dogs.” This clarifies that puppies do experience a great amount of pain afterwards but tend to show it differently. The Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association believe that, “ear cropping is unnecessary for dogs and causes pain and distress without medical benefits.” Without medical benefits most veterinarians will not do the surgical procedures. If they do decided to go forward with the procedures, the dog owner must be counseled first before the operation is done so they know the risks and the after care the pet will need. Furthermore, tail docking is the removal of all or parts of a dog’s tail without anesthesia.
This procedure is usually done to a puppy that is only a few days old. It carries a high risk of post-operative infection, and causes the puppy a great deal of pain. The dog’s tail is important for balance and body language, although conversely some will say that it is not as significant. Advocates of docking argue that it “enhance a dog's safety; hunting dogs that work in ‘thick vegetation and brambles’ have a very high risk of injury to their tails.” However, those who oppose docking say that most hunting dog breeds are usually not those who have docked tails and therefore will not be at …show more content…
risk. For centuries, dogs have been involved in ear cropping and tail docking largely for cosmetic reasons.
Boxers, Pit bulls, Schnauzers, and Great Danes are some of the dog breeds that have been subjected to ear cropping and tail docking. Show dogs, for example, also have their ears cut to a certain shape or tails deducted to meet the standard look of their breed. Some pet owners also prefer their pets to have these surgical procedure done on them to have more of the “traditional” look. Ear cropping and tail docking have been banned in many countries such as, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and other countries. The American Veterinary Medical Association has also “denounced cosmetic ear cropping in 2008.” Even Benfield, the Pet Hospital, has stopped practicing ear cropping and tail docking surgeries since 2009. Most veterinary schools do not teach or practice these two procedures anymore.
It is cruel to cut off a dog’s body part that is used for communication just so that they can look a certain way. Ear cropping and tail docking should only be done to a dog if it will benefit them. Having animals go through meaningless pain to have a specific appearance when they do not need the surgery done for medical reasons is
unjustifiable.
Most pets are put down or run away rather than have gone through expensive treatment. Even in the aforementioned article “The Last Meow” it mentions a statistics that states, “ Every year, while pets like theirs are saved by the most elaborate means some six million strays are put to sleep.” I have personal experience with my first ever dog whom I loved and the sweetest beagle named Snoopy. In his adult life, Snoopy had ear infection, to which we laid out the money for his ear medication. We paid for the medicine because it was a reasonable price that wouldn’t financially harm us.When he got really old he suffered from back discus problems which hindered his ability to walk and it slowly got worse. The only option was to pay for an expensive surgery that most likely wouldn't lead to a long term solution for is back. We didn’t have all the money in the world so the obvious decision was made and we put him to sleep. In cases like mine, people do not give up the money because of unrighteous selfish reasons but because of their obligation to take care of a family or just themselves. Plus it is just common sense not to go into debut for a pet and the few examples of people who do overspend are considered to be financially irresponsible
In the show ring, if a dog is found to have been cosmetically altered to mold it into the breed standard’s image, that dog is disqualified unless the surgeries in question are tail docking, or ear cropping. The reasons for
calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation and decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 237.7 (2010): 788-792.
In support of Gallaudet University's, “Deaf President Now!” protest, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson once said “The problem is not that the deaf do not hear. The problem is that the hearing world does not listen.” (Lee) This concept been seen throughout Deaf history; Today it is especially noticeable now that technology has been developed to restore some hearing to many who are deaf. However these seemingly miraculous devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI) are a gilding for the real problem. CI’s in particular are thought to be a miracle cure for deafness, this misconception causes a great friction between Deaf and hearing culture. Deaf people should not be expected to get CI’s to “cure” their deafness for three primary reasons: CI’s promise more than they can deliver, they are an affront to Deaf culture, and ASL is a more effective way to insure development.
Thousands of animals are put to sleep each year due to not having any available homes for them to be adopted. According to Jennifer Sexton and Tom Warhol in Domestic Animal Overpopulation, “The average female cat can produce two litters of six kittens per year, a female dog can produce one litter of six or more puppies per year, making pet overpopulation a significant problem.” Animal overpopulation is costing money and you can help the pets with spay and neutering programs. A new solution is mandatory contracts for breeders and spay and neuter programs. This paper will talk about spay and neuter programs, contracts for breeders, and why some people don’t think animal overpopulation is a problem. Thankfully there are solutions to this issue of animal overpopulation.
Some techniques used involves injecting steroids to make them stronger artificially. Trainers go even farther by sharpening the tips of the animal’s teeth and nails to do greater damage against their rival. Some trainers cut their dogs ears off to prevent other dogs latching on to them. Most dogs that win fights are kept and used for breeding females for the hopes to make money off selling the puppies. This goes to prove some dogs spend their whole lives surrounded by pain and torture by being born into the sport. The dogs that loose fights are used as “bait” to die in the next fight as easy targets.
Strain, George M. "Congenital deafness in dogs and cats." Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet 13
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
“Responsible Pet Ownership”. American Veterinary Medical Association. American Veterinary Medical Association, 2014. Web. 8, Apr. 2014.
This is just one of the countless barbaric tortures forced upon animals. Studies show that in 1994, over 3,500 animals were killed in the United Kingdom, with almost another 21,000 more used in France for cosmetic purposes only (Celebrities, 95). These numbers reflect totals in only two countries. Research by Congress estimated that as many as 22 million animals are used annually for experimental research (Testing, 96). This research is funded by over 5 billion dollars of tax revenue (Bio-Med, 97). These tax dollars could have been more effectively ...
Cosmetic surgery is becoming a trend world-wide today because humans can never be fully satisfied in terms of looks; however, this type of surgery has many serious perils rather than some benefits that we already know.
The myths that spaying and neutering is cruel, will change the animal’s personality, or will make the pet fat are not true. Spaying and neutering will give a pet a longer and healthier life. The risk of breast cancer in females, and testicular cancer in males is greatly reduced. Females will also no longer have messy heat cycles, and will not attract males. In males, the urge to roam and mark territory is eliminated. Some people would say that they do not want to give their pet an unnecessary, risky surgery. If this surgery is done when the animal is young and healthy, it is almost completely safe. The consequences of not getting this done are much riskier. The urge that males have to wander away from home can put them in very dangerous situations, such as getting ran over by cars or fighting with other males. For females, giving birth is a very risky
Canine shock collars allow citizens who have lack knowledge the ability to so call train a dog. The collars basically give the dog sometimes a warnig beep or sound, then if proceeding to do the action an electric shock to the neck. Hunters usually use this device to teach Canines to be aggressive to other animals and as punishment for wrongdoings when hunting. Shock collars can make Canines fearful of other animals, territorial, and also aggressive towards owners (Emmerson). The technology of shock collars allows humans to torture mans best friend, with electric shocks through the neck.
A second practice involves taking a chemical that is used to produce a specific kind of make-up and rubbing it into the skin of an animal after its fur has been shaved. Skin irritation tests cause the chemical to seep into the body of the animal, not just the skin. This chemical process is also done on the eyes. The scientists will drip a certain amount of a chemical into the eyes of an animal causing excruciating pain. The animals are not given pain relief medication of any kind after the procedure to see how it affects them and if the effects are
The Association for Abandoned Animals currently hosts about 140 abandoned dogs. Many of these would have previously been ill-treated or neglected by their owners who might irresponsibly decide to leave them wandering alone in the streets because they can’t keep them anymore. AAA has a strict non-killing policy. No animal are put to sleep because it is sick (unless it is upon veterinary advice) or because there is not enough space for it. Each dog is given a veterinary check-up, no matter how much it costs. AAA stresses the importance of neutering, both to prevent illnesses and to considerably reduce the number of animals left alone in the dangerous streets and bad weather conditions.