Vet fined for illegally docking tails
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A Deal vet has escaped disqualification after being found
guilty of illegally docking the tails of 13 puppies.
David Smith, who owns Lake View
Veterinary Surgery, in Union Road, was also found guilty of causing
unnecessary suffering when he snipped the tails of the
three-day-old rottweiler pups at his Hawkinge surgery on March 27,
2008.
Smith, of Lower Farm, Finglesham,
denied the charges which were brought by the RSPCA.
After the verdict his lawyer,
Ann-Marie Gregory, said: "This has major implications for vets
around the country.
The law on tail docking changed
under the 2006 Animal Welfare Act which came into effect in April
2007.
Rottweilers are now not allowed to
be docked unless for medical reasons.
Smith was slammed for not carrying
out through enough investigations into whether it was permitted for
that breed.
He was fined £2,000 for illegally
docking the dogs' tails and £1,300 for causing unnecessary
suffering.
For the full story, see
this week's East Kent Mercury.
Wednesday, December 15 2010
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