Paragraph 16 of the act explicitly prohibits removing tissue from an animal for cosmetic reasons:

"A person shall not carry out, or cause or permit another
person to carry out, on an animal, an operation or procedure which
involves interference with, or the removal of, the sensitive tissue or
the bone structure of the animal

a) for a purpose other than veterinary treatment, unless the
operation or procedure is carried out in accordance
with
—
(i) animal health and welfare regulations, or
(ii) regulations under section 54A (inserted by section 2
of the Veterinary Practice (Amendment) Act 2012)
of the Veterinary Practice Act 2005,
b) for cosmetic reasons, or
c) in a manner that
(i) obliterates or obscures any mark identifying the ani-
mal, or
(ii) renders the identification of the owner of the animal
more difficult."

So this petition is a bit unnecessary.

More info here: http://www.lovemypet.ie/welfarebill/

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Hi Barry. Alan Rossiter here, Veterinary ireland representative. You are right in that the Act will prohibit docking and dew claw removal

"unless the operation or procedure is carried out in accordance with

(i) animal health and welfare regulations,"

It is intended to issue animal health and welfare regulations - an SI, that can be signed into effect by the Minister without having to be passed by the Oireachtas - to allow for these procedures to be done by non-vets using no anaesthesia or pain relief.

It is now our job to convince the Minister not to do this, and indeed to convince him that he cannot do this as these precedures are cosmetic, and cosmetic procedures are prohibited in this section of the Act!

 

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Hi Barry,

Proposed regulations under a)(i) of the section that you have quoted would allow for the tails of certain breeds to be docked by laypersons when the pup is less than 4 days old. They would also permit the removal of dew claws without anaesthetic before the age of 4 days.

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Well spotted Barry but the Minister can issue a regulation which permits certain procedures to be carried out, and it is now known that he plans to issue a regulation to permit tail docking of working breeds by non-vets. So this petition is in fact timely and appropriate.

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Barry this petition is in relation to the proposed Regulations which have not yet been passed.  If it goes through it will be an exemption and I don't know about you but I certainly don't think its okay to amputate any part of any living being unless done by a professional when it is absolutley necessary for health reasons and not without anesthetic!

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Like many pieces of legislation, the Act takes the approach of banning everything, then allowing certain specific exemptions.  In this case, every form of surgery except "veterinary treatment" is banned, unless it receives an exemption (Section 16(a)(i) and (ii)).  Because of this approach, at the time that the Act commences the Minister intends to make "animal welfare regulations" (as referred to in Section 16(a)(i)) to permit certain listed procedures.  If he doesn't do that, operations such as preventive neutering may become illegal.  Unfortunately, the draft regulations that are currently being discussed contain an exemption that will allow unqualified, unregulated lay people to amputate tails and dew-claws of dogs, without even being required to use anaesthesia or pain relief of any kind.  The purpose of this petition is have those elements of the draft regulations removed, so that the absolute ban on operations "for cosmetic reasoons" will remain.

Well Barry according to Sunday's Newspapers, looks like the Government are planning to amend the Animal Welfare Legislation to allow unqualified people i.e. Dog Breeders to carry out this barbaric acts!

 

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

Barry,  I read this too.

http://www.dogstrust.ie/mediacentre/pr13dogstrusthailsthepassingoftheanimalhealthandwelfarebill2012.aspx

"In relation to dogs welfare, we are particularly pleased to see the strengthened laws on dog fighting and animal baiting, the prohibition on the tail docking of dogs and, of course, provisions to enable the micro-chipping of dogs."

 

So why are we being asked to sign a petition?

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

http://www.petitions24.com/ban_tail_docking_on_dogs_in_ireland

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

That;s the point ...they are talking about modifying the text/ bringing in qulaifying regualtions to exempt certain breeds from the Act...so they will still be ok to dock

#19: Barry - Actual text of the Act

totally the opposite, read it again.