Ontario, Alberta and Quebec: Catch Up With the Rest of the Country and Ban Cosmetic Surgeries in Dogs

  • by: Amelia Meister
  • recipient: Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, Ontario College of Veterinarians, Ordre des medecins veterinaires du Quebec, Canada

Ear-cropping and tail-docking are cruel and unnecessary surgeries done to dogs for purely cosmetic purposes. These procedures cause pain and distress to puppies, who often have the procedures at young ages: a few days old for tail-docking and 8-10 weeks old for ear-cropping. They also increase the chance of infection and may cause behavioural problems due to trauma.

The rest of the provinces in Canada have come out against tail-docking and ear-cropping with banning of one or both in all provinces except Ontario, Alberta and Quebec. Much of Europe has also banned the practices.

Sign today to tell Ontario, Quebec and Alberta to get with the times and ban these cruel and unnecessary practices.

*Photo Credit John M licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo cropped for this petition. 

We call upon you to ban the practices of ear-cropping and tail-docking in dogs within your province's veterinary practices. As the governing bodies you have the power to take a role of leadership and stop these cruel and unnecessary practices. 


We understand that Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are behind the times in this country, as the other provinces have banned either one or both practices within veterinary practices. We call upon you to finally stand up against these procedures. 

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