Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) asks The Veterinary Council of India (VCI) and Kennel Clubs to stop promoting this cruel practice with immediate effect
  

Acting on a petition by Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO), the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has issued an advisory stating that non- therapeutic tail docking and cropping of ears amounts to mutilation and constitutes cruelty to animals and is a punishable offence as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.


The statutory body has directed the veterinary council of India to stop promoting this cruel practice and has asked the Kennel Clubs not to register dogs whose tails have been docked and ears clipped. Tails and ears of 2-5 days old pups of certain breeds such as Boxer, Doberman, Cocker Spaniel, Great Danes etc are cut. Tails of dogs have many useful functions, including maintaining balance and body language. If a tail were not useful to a dog, natural selection would have eliminated it long ago. The fact is that, with very rare exceptions, most breeds of dogs are born with tails. There is considerable scientific evidence that docking can lead to complications, including death of the pup.
  
Globally, in many countries like Australia, England, France, Netherlands, South Africa and several others, cosmetic docking of tails or cropping ears of dogs is banned. In England and Wales, ear cropping is illegal, and no dog with cropped ears can take part in any Kennel Club event.
 
We appreciate alertness of Snehal Bhavsar of FIAPO member organization- Gujrat SPCA who brought this issue to our notice. The advisory would not have been in its present shape without persuasion by FIAPO chairperson- Dr. Chinny Krishna (Blue Cross of India ) , FIAPO trusteeNorma Alvares (PFA Goa) and FIAPO Governing board member- Ms.Anjali Sharma (NOIDA SPCA) who continuously pushed the matter with Animal Welfare Board of India chairperson. We highly value sensitivity shown by the AWBI chairperson Gen. R.M.Kharb. A big thanks to our volunteers Helen Christy and Mridu Minocha who gathered information on the antiquated practices and helped us to prepare strong arguments in this case.
  
This advisory is a significant step forward, which will not only save pups from cosmetic surgeries but will provide AWOs, SPCAs and animal activists the necessary tool for bringing the perpetrators of this practice to book. However, for this advisory to be effective will require AWOs, SPCAs and animal activists to gear up and initiate action against individuals who continue to indulge in these practices. The actions that you as a concerned citizen can take are described below.

How can you help?
Your role will be to spread this news rapidly and extensively with a wider audience such as vets, kennel clubs, animal welfare organizations, media people, animal lovers and general public so that they know about the truth behind cutting tails and ears of 2-5 day old pups. Share this with:
  1. Media people so that it reaches wider audience
  2. Post it on animal related blogs/ websites
  3. Share on facebook page/ twitter accounts
  4. Personally, share this with pet owners, animal lovers, friends and family
  5. Print  copy and give to your local veterinarian
  6. Print a copy or forward it to the local SPCA and request them to display it for public to read

If you still find someone continuing to dock tails and/or crop ears, here is what you can do:
  1. File a written complaint against the veterinarian, if you know who he/she is, with Veterinary Council of India at  [email protected] ; 011-26184149, 011-26184354. Additionally, AWBI can be informed at  [email protected] , so that the AWBI can take up the issue with the Veterinary Council.
  2. Lodge a complaint at the nearest police station, either individually, or through an AWO / SPCA under Sections 428, & 429 of the Indian Penal Code (Section 428, 429, IPC: Mischief by killing or maiming animal ) . Show them the copy of AWBI circular (attached) where tail docking and ear cropping is notified as cruelty to pups.
  3. In the case of extremely obstinate, unreasonable persons who do not see reason, file a complaint in Court under Section 11 of the PCA, preferably through an AWO / SPCA."
Please contact Khushboo Gupta ( [email protected] ) for any clarification or help. Please see below a note on what’s wrong with tail docking and ear cropping.
There is a need for all of us to act as crusaders for animal reforms in India and it will only be possible by putting in joint effort to implement such progressive orders in our individual capacities.Every effort counts and every action will help little pups to escape mutilation!
Click  here to know what's wrong with tail docking and ear cropping?
!! FINALLY ALL DOGS WILL BE ABLE TO WAG THEIR TAILS !!
 
Wounds are the most common cases presented in any veterinary establishment.  Wound means any breach in the continuity of the skin and wound healing is restoration in the continuity. The process involves cell regeneration, cell proliferation and collagen production.

A wound can be covered temporarily with bandage until specialized veterinary care is received to avoid gross contamination and mutilation of the area. Generally the area of wound is cleaned, lavaged and hair around the wound should be clipped and shaved, followed be some antiseptic dressing. The dirty or contaminated wounds should not be closed and open drainage is required. In some cases, dressing is done but a drain is kept to allow escape of fluid coming out if the gap is too big, suturing is required, but in some cases with, tissue heals by itself whereas some wounds require delayed suturing. Sometimes necrosed (dead) tissue is present which has to be removed and the edges are freshened (debridement) for healthy healing.
In haemorrhagic wounds the first step is to arrest the bleeding. Similarly in fracture wounds (open fractures), anatomical reconstruction and reduction of fracture and then wound closure should be done. In case of maggoted wounds, which occur by attack of blow flies or by eggs laid by flies on any open wound has to be treated accordingly i.e. removal of maggots. This can be done by applying tincture turpentine locally, which will irritate the maggots and they will come out or apply any spray or ointment containing insecticidal compounds (BHC). In case of burn wounds, the fluid therapy of the patient is of utmost importance as many electrolytes are lost from weeping burn surface along with local application of emollient and antiseptic dressing (e.g. sulphacetamide ointments). Dog bite wounds should be attended with special precaution. Wearing of gloves is essential by anyone who handles the dog. First of all antirabies vaccination (post bite, Day 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 30 and 60) should be done. A thorough washing of area should be done followed by antiseptic dressing. It should not be sutured as is generally contaminated. Similarly, in all contaminated wounds, suturing is delayed. In case of gunshot wounds, the cartridge has to be removed the position of which can be ascertained by taking radiograph. In case of severe tissue loss, tissue grafting is needed and is a really helpful.

*The line of treatment wounds varies with the cause, type and duration of wound.

In spite of a lot of available options, many a times there is delay in the wound healing or there is formation of an ulcerating wound. Many of the systemic/endogenous and exogenous/environmental factors are involved which can affect the rate of wound healing and strength of the healed tissue.

  1. Anaemia: In anaemia the haemoglobin is less so the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is reduced. Oxygen is required for the cells for respiration the reduction of which leads to delayed wound healing. 
  2. Hypoproteinaemia: Wound healing is a process of protein synthesis; less of the protein may lead to delayed wound healing and decreased strength. Methionine and cysteine prevents delayed wound healing and thus be incorporated in diet.
  3. Uraemia: increased blood urea nitrogen delays wound healing. Uraemia causes slow granulation tissue formation and poor quality collagen, the tissue so formed is thus not so strong. 
  4. Dehydration and odema: These two factors are involved in wound healing and excess of any of these two can cause a delayed healing.
  5.  Diabetes/blood sugar: More of the sugar in the blood has been seen in the humans have seen to delay the wound healing and may be involved in dogs also.
  6. Thyroid: Imbalances in the normal values of thyroid hormone affects wound healing and should be ruled out in case of delayed wound healing.
  7. Infection: Infection local or systemic will delay the wound healing. A good antiseptic dressing should be applied and changed regularly. A systemic antibiotic should be selected based on the type of infection for whichantibiotic sensitivity test is helpful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     *A complete blood testing is thus recommended in cases of long standing wounds or ulcerated wounds like blood haemoglobin, total protein, urea nitrogen fasting blood sugar, thyroid and antibiotic sensitivity test (ABST).
  8. Oxygen tension: Oxygen is required for every cell and sometimes a very tight bandage will reduce blood flow to the affected area. So while applying bandage, just observe that your finger can go between skin and bandage but at the same time it should not be too loose.
  9. Temperature: Maximum strength of the healed tissue is attained at 30o C. so it is not good to keep your dog at very less temperature (in Air conditioner) or very high temperature (very hot environment) otherwise the collagen formed will be not very strong.
  10. Cleaning agent: Owners should keep in their mind that the skin of dogs and human are different. The floors at which the dogs are kept are occasionally cleaned with phenol (Phenyl) which is irritating to the dogs and many a times allergic. In addition to this many a times dog owners apply Dettol or Savlon or Human Shampoos to clean their dogs, it is to inform them that you are actually harming your dog. Don’t apply it on your dog as its skin is different from human skin. Apply betadine or just normal saline to clean the wound. You are actually causing harm to your dog. One more thing that I want to tell is about the shampoos being used on the dogs; please use only dog shampoos and not the human ones.
  11. Vitamin E and Zinc: If present in excess, vitamin E will delay wound healing, by slowing collagen formation so should not be given in excess to the dogs. Zinc is required in moderate amount for normal wound healing as it helps in cellular proliferation however, in excess zinc delays wound healing by inhibiting macrophage function (cells involved in combating infection). 
  12.  Corticosteroid: Dogs are given corticosteroid for their anti inflammatory action but they markedly inhibit growth of the blood vessels and epithelial cells of the affected area. They can thus complicate the wound healing instead of helping. For anti-inflammatory action other suitable drugs can be used, if required (e.g. Serratiopeptidase).
  13. Anticancer drugs: These drugs are cytotoxic (toxic to the cells) and directly affecting all the developing and growing cells of the body and should not be given, until very necessary. 
  14. Vitamin C: It is required for the formation of collagen. God quality collagen provides strength to the healing tissue. Vitamin C can be given easily through oral route as palatable tablets are available.
  15. Drugs: Some of the dogs are allergic to some drugs like amino glycosides group of antibiotics and a delay in wound healing is observed, a change of antibiotic may help. In addition drugs like Aspirin, phenyl-butazone have also been reported to decrease healing.                                                                                                                                                                        *History is very important as it can help in identification and removal of involved agent. 
  16. Self mutilation: Many a times the dog licks the wounds. They damage the bandage and remove dressing. Here neck collar and Elizabethian collars (http://innovationindia.weebly.com, http://innovationindia.webs.com) can be very useful as they will restrict the head movement and prevent licking and self mutilation of the area.
  17. Constant irritation: Decubital ulcers or pressure sores develop and do not heal in cases of recumbency in certain diseases (Paralysis, Hind quarter weakness) due to which the wound cannot heal. The pet should be encouraged to stand and if not possible rehabilitation aid should be provided to the animal. Slings can be very useful and may help dog to stand whereas in long standing cases wheel chair/wheel cart (http://innovationindia.weebly.com, http://innovationindia.webs.com) should be provided as animal can stand and move and the wound dressing can be done very easily. In addition, it will remove constant pressure of dogs own body weight and irritation due to recumbency.
  18. Immobility: Sometimes the wound is near or at the joint which causes constant movement and thus healed tissue will rupture again and again. For this the area should be immobilized, at the same time dressing of the area is also very important, so a splint with a window can be applied for better outcome. Various fore leg and hind leg splints are available which can be beneficial for the pet (http://innovationindia.weebly.com, http://innovationindia.webs.com).

*Rehabilitation of animal should be instituted as early as possible as it enhances the rate of recovery, wound healing and animal well being.






 


 
One minute Badmaash was walking on the road in Gurgaon's DLF Phase III. The next minute she was gone. Her owner Amitabh — who'd been walking a few paces behind her — kept calling for her but the golden retriever just couldn't be found. He spent a troubled night, then began to put up flyers asking people whether they had seen Badmaash. It was an urgent appeal as she was epileptic. Amitabh also got in touch with NGOs which help find homes for lost and abandoned dogs. They told him this was nothing new. Pedigreed dogs keep getting stolen from around the city, they said.What is behind this spate of dog disappearances? The obvious reason is that they're expensive and can fetch a good price. A pedigreed labrador pup, for example, will sell for as much as Rs 18,000, while a pug — the breed made famous by the Hutch ad — will sell for upto Rs 25,000. A stolen pup will sell for about half as much, a neat sum. According to Gautam Barat, treasurer of the animal NGO Friendicoes, "Dogs nowadays are mostly stolen from areas like Gurgaon and Noida because it's easier to transport them out of the city from the suburbs."
He blames the thefts on the fact that the divide between the rich and the poor is getting wider, and that the people who live in the villages around which these satellite townships sprung up see the pedigreed dogs as valuable possessions which they can sell for a tidy profit if they can lay their hands on them."If a pup is stolen, it is sold," says Barat. "If an adult dog is stolen, he or she is crossed and the litter that ensues is sold."The police response to the missing dogs is usually a curt "Should we look for missing dogs or missing persons?" This makes it difficult to put a finger on the exact number of thefts that have taken place so far. But dog lovers like Madhu Goyal — who helps find homes for lost and abandoned dogs — says she sends out four to five emails every month saying somebody has lost a dog. Other associations send out a similar number, say people in the industry. Shampa Dasgupta, who helps run happytails.com, a website that is involved in finding homes for dogs, says the gangs that steal dogs have done their homework. "A neighbourhood is first recced, and the dogs that are targeted are the ones that might be walked without a leash or one that might be walked by a domestic help who seems careless. Then the dog is snatched, usually by two men on a motorcycle."Source: TOI



 
Be cruel to your pet or any other animal at your own peril. For, an offender could end up paying up Rs 1 crore as fine or be jailed up to five years. The environment and forests ministry has proposed this hefty fine in this animal welfare bill 2011. For institutions or companies that show cruelty towards animals the penalty could be Rs 25 crore. The proposed bill empowers the centre to fix lines and penalties based on the severity of offence. According to the proposal, the bill will aim to regulate welfare of pets and animals used in performances and for scientific experiments. It would be construed as an offence if you don’t take reasonable steps to ensure that pet gets a suitable environment and diet, protection from pain, suffering and diseases.

Abandoning a pet is among the list of offences that will lead to the wrongdoer paying a hefty fine, according to the proposal by the environment and forests ministry. Keeping animals chained for “unreasonable time”, or keeping it caged in a space that doesnot “permit the animal a reasonable opportunity for movement” would call for invoking the penal clause. “If any person beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads, tortures or otherwise treats any animal so as to subject it to unnecessary pain or suffering or permits such  cruelty he or she would be liable for penalty under the act when and if passed by the parliament,” says the provisions in the proposed bill.

Source: TOI

 
 Since humans have no tails to wag, they need to look at their best friend for signs they feel happy, scientists say. Researchers at Azabu University in Japan found that dogs have become so attuned to living with humans that they even distinguish a smile, even on the faces of some strangers. Dogs, they said, have an innate ability to recognise each other’s' expressions, but over time they also learned to interpret faces of a completely different species — humans.

For the study, the team trained nine pet dogs using photos of their owners, who were smiling in some of the photos and looking neutral in the others. The dogs were trained to touch their nose to photos of their owner's smiling face. These dogs were then shown photo pairs of smiling and blank-expression faces of unfamiliar people as well as of their owners. When shown photo pairs of either their owner or a stranger who was the same gender as their owner, the dogs selected the smiling faces most of the time, it was found.
Source: TOI


 
How do dogs learn to beg for food or behave badly, particularly when they are not paid any attention? It's a combination of specific cues, context and previous experience, says researchers. How your pet comes to respond to the level of people's attentiveness tells us something about the way dogs think and learn about the human behaviour, says university of Florida's Monique Udell, who conducted the study with her team. their research suggests it is down to a combination of specific cues, context and previous experience, reports the journal Learning and Behaviour.

Recent work has identified a remarkable range of human-like social behaviours including dogs’ ability to respond to human body language, verbal commands, and to attentional states, according to Florida statement. Udell and team carried out two experiments comparing the performance of pet dogs, shelter dogs and wolves given the opportunity to beg for food from either an attentive person or from a person unable to see the animal. They showed the first time that wolves, like domestic dogs, are capable of begging successfully for food by approaching the attentive human. This demonstrates that both species have the capacity to behave in accordance with a human's attentional status.

Source: TOI

 
Limb paralysis is a very common condition in dogs which can occur both in fore leg or hind leg, but more common in hind legs. Various reasons for hind limb paralysis are trauma due to accident or fall from height or fight among animals. Other common causes are old age, neurological and degenerative diseases, tick paralysis and nutritional hind quarter weakness.
Due to the paralysis or hind quarter weakness dog is unable to walk and bear weight on its legs which leads to recumbency. Recumbency has several complications like muscle degeneration, disuse atrophy of the muscles, neuronal degeneration, soft tissue damage, pressure sores and decubital ulcers. In addition to this, the blood supply to the area gets disturbed. As veins are superficial seated, they get blocked due to the weight of the animal whereas arteries are deep seated and initially blood continues to pool which causes marked swelling of the area (odema). Later, production of super oxides damages the cells and local tissues which take the form of a vicious cycle causing further production of free radicals and more damage. The blood supply will eventually stop leading to the death of the limb leaving to no other option but to amputate the leg of the animal. In addition to trauma, neoplasia can also lead to the amputation of the limbs/legs. If treated properly at an early stage the complications of the recumbency and amputation of leg can be averted for which proper ambulation and rehabilitation is very important. Earlier, when more than one leg was lost (amputated), then there was no other option available, especially in India and the animal was put to sleep (euthanized). But now the conditions have improved markedly in India and such animals can live further with proper treatment.

Animal should be lifted from the ground and should be given proper treatment as early as possible so that the blood supply to the area becomes normal. Rehabilitation and physiotherapy should start as they increase the rate of recovery. To facilitate the standing of the dog, devices are now available in India in variety of forms like slings, two wheeled wheel chair/wheel carts and four two wheeled wheel chair/wheel carts. In addition to this, rehabilitation aids are available in India at nominal cost http//www.innovationindia.webs.com ,which can markedly improve the living pattern of the animals. An orthotic is defined as devices used to support or protect an injured limb like braces (e.g. knee brace). A prosthetic device is designed to replace a missing limb or body part (e.g. artificial limb). The products available in India have several advantages for the pet lovers and owners the most important of which is the reduced cost. In addition to this, the products are custom made i.e. product is made individually for each animal/dog.

Slings may be strapped around the body or fitted for the fore limb or hind limb or both. Straps are long hand held to allow handler support the dog. Slings help in transitioning a recumbent pet to standing position.

Whereas, in certain cases, a combination of fore limb and hind limb devices becomes necessary for total body support, to prevent decubital ulcers and complications of recumbency. Wheel carts also known as canine wheel chairs or simply carts are such device which are beneficial to provide support, allow independence fro the owner and the dog and prevent the deleterious effects of recumbency. When placed in the wheel cart/chair, the dog needs some days to get habituated to the device. For a few initial days, the dog should be supervised so that they don’t fall or get struck in some object. Also they should be able to eat and drink in carts, for this, their feeding bowl may be elevated from the ground. These wheel carts with two or four wheels are designed for dogs which are permanently disabled, according to the need of the individual animal, now in India http//www.innovationindia.webs.com , With little hard work, care and love the life of these speechless animals can be improved, so let’s join our hands together to make this happen.