New-York tribune., 1895-12-15
THE CROPPING OF DOGS EARS
4 MOVEMENT TO DO AWAY WITH THE
CRUEL PRACTICE.

rAKEN-sTARTING OF THE AoTTA-
TON IN ENGLAND-ARGuMENTs
FOR AND AGAINST
CROPPING.
Az tho meeting last September OF the American
Kcnnel Club a resolution was introduced con-
demning the practice Of cropping dogs ears as un-
necessary and brutal. Owing to the small at
tendance at the meeting the matter was laid over
and will be brought UP at the next meeting OF the
club on December 10. a large attendance is ex-
rec,ed and the fight over the amendment will be
hitter. 1t is not expected that 1t will pass.
This action Is due 10 a law passed by the English
Kennel Club las, February The new law stated
that no dog born after March !. 1885, II cropped,
would win a prize at bench show Inasnuch as
many Of the best dogs are imported from England
the standard set there VIII nave 10 De fol-
lowed here or else the importation OF dogs must
cease and the breeds in this country consequently
suffer The chief breeds affected by the new rule
are bull terriers Boston terriers. black and tan
,orr;ers Yorkshire terriers and Great Danes
There are many clubs in the United States which
are named after and make n specially OF particu-
lar breeds of dogs Among these are the i5oston
Terrier Club and the Great Dane Club All these
clubs are entitled send delegates to the meeting
of the American Kennel Club, which controls dog
matters over the whole country.
A TwO-THIRDs VOTE NEEDED.
Twothirds of the members present must vote one
way in order to pass resolution. proxies ana mall
votes barred. Most OF tho delegates are strongly
opposed TO the anti-croppng rule. Many who favor
II DENY the right OF the Kennel Club to settle the
question They claim that the clubs making spe-
cialtv of one particular kind of dog should make
the laws concerning cropping OF ears or anything
clse affecting the standard of that particular breed
The opposition to the anti-cropping rule VIII thus
be so strong to probably defeat 1t.
Of dnQs Is n
when dog fighting was a recognized sport. 1t was
designed to protect the animal from having the
ear torn away in the encounter The LOBE OF the
ear Is cut away bringing it TO sharp point and
giving little chance for hold TO the dogs ad-
versary This operation deprives the ear Of is
natural covering so that no protection is afforded
against dust and flies while the animars hearing
is likely to be impaired.
Those in favor of the continuation of cropping
naty deny all this, and advance the argument that
Investigation will show that cropped ears are al
most always free from any disease. Canker Of the
ear an extremely common disease, Is. they say
rarely found in dogs with cropped ears
TORTURE TO THE DOG
One objection which cannot be met is the un
doubted torture inflicted the dog while the opera
ton is being performed 1t does not consist. as
most people imagine OF a few swift clips of the
shears or dexterous strokes OF a knife The opera
ton is a protracted and painful one. Piece after
niece of the cartilage has to be shipped away in
order to shape the and make both ears alike
proceeding yet remains to be performed For DAYS
afterward the ears have to he pulled In order to
make them stand erect and unwrinkled The plerc-
inc yel.s of the poor dogs while this is being done
the best proof Of the plain they underg9 ,or
the abolition of this barbarous practice IN England
and the new rule has met with the hearty support
August Belmont. the president OF the American
Kennel cub wrote TO stcreisr' elenourgn sdS
ipp hat he NJ
met with his approval. and ne heartily advocated
It's adoption me MAJ ru.es, no~ener, ia an .c
ARGUMENT Or THE OPPOSITION
Clifford Wood. the delegate from the Great Dane
Club and leader OF the opposition TO the new rule
says that II it Is passed the elimination OF the
breeds at present cropped. will follow. up TO the
present" he said. 'breeders have paid no attention
to ears beyond seeing that they were thick and
strong a; the base, to stand up well The
ears when allowed to grow naturally are coarse
10 let ali other points Of the breed go, while pro-
hack will not be recovered for hundred years
so Great Danes are imported from Germany.
whore they have been cropped from time imme-
mortal. and probably always will be- If dogs are
left uncropped here no German dogs can be bred TO
them. and the strain will deteriorate, TO the ul-i-
Mr Wood says tina, this objection does apply
terriers. because We have as good terriers here
position on the part of most of the delegates to
have the rule relaxed IN the case or the particular
dog of which their club makes specially
The Westminster Kennel Club at their next
show. Will compromise the vexed question by
having two classes for terrers-cropped and un-
cropped
TO PREVENT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
II the law does not pass, and breeders persist in
cropping the Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty
to Animals may take hand. In England, since
the adoption of the rule. man and his wife were
sent cnced to a months hard labor in Holloway
Jail for cropping the ears OF n puppy WINE crop
ping was necessary IS qualify dog for bench
show it practically impossible to obtain con-
viction.
The pioneer in the anti-cropping movement is the
Irish Terrier Club, which has refused for the last
three years 10 recognize cropped dogs in the COM
petition for it's valuable prizes.
The rule against cropping does not affect the
practice of docking the tail of a puppy, this
operation is practically painless. II IL performed
when the dog is very young. and the tail merely
a hit OF nerveless cartilage. The ears OF a dog
are not cropped until he is eight months old. and
consequently the suffering inflicted is great.