My husband used to think like you, and also hated cats. Then I got a cat, who has become his fluffy wuv wuv baby because she’s the best cat ever. And he’s recently befriended a very spirited and clever mini schnauzer and said to me “Some small dogs are really awesome!” Which both shocked and did not shock me. Cause…

It’s Old Norse. It’s closest English translation would probably be ‘yak dung’

not all dogs under 30lbs are assholes. admittedly I havent met a Chihuahua that wasnt a barking rat. but some of the smaller terrier breeds are definitely typically good dogs. Had 2 westies (one has gone to the great kennel in the sky after 14 years) and both were and one still is great little dogs. fairly bright,…

I had a cat who had been hit by a car before I adopted her and her tail healed strangely and kept bleeding and getting infected. I didn’t feel bad when the vet recommended amputating her tail because that was clearly better for her than living with a broken tail. But that’s a medical reason, not a cosmetic reason.

I don’t know why age matters here. She was doing something horrific to dogs and is being punished for it.

The procedure in her kitchen is the same as the procedure in the vet’s office the way home-made butt injections are the same as licensed plastic surgery. I technically think ear docking is mutilation with or without sedation, but one way of going about it is more humane and safe than the other.

THIS ^ THIS ^ THIS ^

No, there’s not a correlation between altering the dogs and aggression - assuming it’s done safely and at an appropriate age. (Terriers get their tails docked at day four or five. I’ve seen some ear docking done much later in life and wonder if that doesn’t leave them feeling a little foul about medical procedures.)

Do…

She is mutilating dogs without sedative or anesthesia. She is keep waaaaay more dogs on her property than she should strictly need to as a breeder of supposed repute. She is doing all this against the law, willfully, knowingly, and without remorse or thought to the well being if her own animals.

If the dogs could walk into the vet and communicate their desire to have their tails and ears docked, I’d say you have an argument here. But they can’t.

You haven’t met the right dog under 30 lbs then :). Properly raised, small dogs are just that...dogs that are small.

Docking may also be necessary for broken tails. I had a beagle whose broken tail healed poorly and would catch on things. Another break was inevitable. But we had a vet perform the procedure under general anesthesia... not on our counter awake like this lady. 

I don’t know your answer re: dogs, but it would make sense that the dog would be less safe from aggression if it couldn’t communicate as well with other dogs.

For me, there’s a question of agency here. A human who decides to pierce his/her ears/tongue/nose.... decides this for him/herself.

She could. True. Because she broke the law. How to avoid dying in jail?

I show cats. The problem with your cat has nothing to do with the breed. It sounds as if the dam either had poor parenting skills, or the kitten was removed from the dam too soon. Toiletry habits are 100% taught to the kitten by the dam, and it sounds like this didn’t happen with your cat. The fact that it is a…

The dog didn’t choose to alter itself. Most likely the person did choose to alter themselves and chose how and where this alteration would take place. You are not making a valid comparison unless you know of some weird rampant baby surgical alteration group going about procedures without the consent of the…

As someone who adopted an older bulldog and has worked with bulldog rescues, I cannot agree with this enough. It’s deplorable, and the number of scammers trying to breed and sell bulldog puppies is unbelievable. They almost always end up re-homed because people get them when they’re puppies and think they’re just…

Pennsylvania isn’t prohibiting the procedure. It’s requiring that it be done by a veterinarian. If an 81-year-old woman who didn’t have a medical license were performing minor cosmetic surgery on humans at her kitchen table, the legal system would also have something to say about that.

Dogs communicate with other dogs with their ears and tails. Cutting off dogs’ ears and tails is like cutting out the tongue on a human. The practise really took hold among dog fighters because it took away the dogs’ ability to say “hey, I don’t want to fight, can we be friends instead?” Then vile people who defend the…