Commentary on Sections Prevention of Harm Section 6 – Docking of dogs’ tails
This section prohibits the docking of a dog’s tail, otherwise than for the purposes of its medical treatment by a veterinary surgeon or to safeguard its life. Subsections (4) – (18) provide an exemption subject to certain conditions for certified working dogs involved in law enforcement, lawful pest control or lawful shooting of animals. Schedule 1 sets out the breeds to which an exemption may apply.   It will be an offence if a dog is docked under this exemption and not identified in accordance with regulations made by the Department.  It will also be an offence to knowingly give false information to a veterinary surgeon in connection with the obtaining of certification for a dog.  In addition it will be an offence to take, or cause another person to take, a dog from Northern Ireland for the purpose of having the whole or any part of its tail docked. The section also introduces a ban on the showing of dogs where the tail was docked after the coming into operation of section 6. Subsection (13) provides an exemption which allows a subsection 4 dog to be shown in circumstances where it can demonstrate its working ability.