The Alberta SPCA has recently investigated multiple instances of non-medical cosmetic surgeries being conducted on companion animals. It is important to understand the welfare concerns and legality of these surgeries.
The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) maintains a list of surgeries that have been deemed medically unnecessary and are prohibited. Following a vote by their members in 2019, previously common surgeries were added to the list, including ear cropping and tail docking. Serious animal welfare concerns, as well as legal consequences, can arise from conducting these surgeries.
What is prohibited?
Procedures which are deemed medically unnecessary by the ABVMA include tail docking, ear cropping, tail blocking and nicking, aesthetic tattooing, declawing and more. Although many of these procedures have long been accepted — and in some cases encouraged — recent research has shown these procedures provide no medical benefit, while causing pain, distress and possible long-term health complications. Such surgeries can also prevent or restrict natural behaviours, leading to distress.
Often, cosmetic alterations were done to align with competition beauty standards or simply for personal preference. Some people even believed that very young animals did not experience pain. However, recent research has shown that young animals, much like human babies, may experience a hypersensitivity to pain. Many medically unnecessary surgeries are banned in other provinces in Canada.
What The Law Says
As our peace officers enforce the Animal Protection Act (APA), we have a unique role in preventing these surgeries. Right now, the APA does not ban these types of procedures; however, it is prohibited to cause distress to animals outside of “generally accepted practices” (Interpretation 2(2)). As many caregivers know, even with excellent care standards, regular veterinary care can be a stressful event for your animals. Most types of veterinary care, such as spaying, neutering, vaccinations or emergency surgery are necessary for an animal’s health and permitted as generally accepted practices.
Medically unnecessary surgeries are not approved by veterinarians and cannot be legally performed by licensed veterinarians in Alberta if they fall outside the scope of a generally accepted practice. These surgeries are illegal, and someone found conducting them may be in violation of the APA. Any individual found performing these surgeries, as well as the owner of the animal, may be charged with violations under the APA for knowingly causing distress to an animal.
Although it is not illegal to own an animal with cosmetic alterations done — as the surgery may have been performed before it was banned, or outside of Alberta — we urge any individual who has knowledge of these surgeries being performed to report it to our Animal Protection Line (1-800-455-9003) or online at www.AlbertaSPCA.org/report. Our peace officers work closely with veterinarians to establish distress in these instances and pursue charges when appropriate.
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