WSAVA condemns cosmetic alteration of pets
“Elective surgeries should not be performed simply to alter an animal’s appearance or behaviour based on human preferences or tradition” – Heather Bacon.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association has issued a position statement expressing its opposition to the physical alteration of an animal’s body for either cosmetic reasons or to control behaviour.
Prepared by the WSAVA’s Animal Welfare Committee (AWC), it is hoped that the statement will support veterinary teams and organisations in preventing and discouraging practices including onychectomy, devoicing, tail docking, and ear cropping.
Although such procedures are illegal in many countries, they still continue to be performed. In the UK, for example, it is legal to import a dog with cropped ears. Organisations such as the British Veterinary Association have argued that this has created a loophole which has allowed ear cropping to become popular among some owners.
The statement argues that such procedures ‘demonstrate a lack of recognition of the intrinsic value of animals as sentient beings and sends the message that they are commodities to be altered and exploited in line with the preferences of people.’
The WSAVA is asking veterinary teams to help educate clients about the harm that cosmetic and behavioural-control procedures can cause.
Heather Bacon, chair of the AWC, said: “Elective surgeries should not be performed simply to alter an animal’s appearance or behaviour based on human preferences or tradition. A robust cost-benefit analysis and application of the evidence is always necessary to ensure the best health and welfare outcomes for our companion animals.
“All veterinarians have an ethical obligation to act in the best interests of their patients. We can all improve animal health and welfare outcomes by demonstrating leadership and evidence-based practice on these contentious issues, and by proactively engaging with communities to normalise and promote the value of healthy cats and dogs with intact toes, ears, tails and voices. We hope our position statement will support colleagues around the world in achieving this.”
The position statement can be read here.
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Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
