Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pixel's Continued Voice for Change to End Tail Docking "No Tail Left Behind" Campaign Still Going Strong!

Four times a year, pet bloggers from all around the internet come together with the "Be the Change for Animals" advocacy group to blog about important topics that we feel will help "Be the Change" for animals. People and animals working together to help animals! I have a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, and that is educating about the dangers of tail docking. During the July 15, 2012 "Blog the Change" for animals event, I introduced my campaign to educate about the dangers of tail docking in my post "No Tail Left Behind - Giving Voice to the Dangers of Tail Docking." Well, I have been amazed at how it has grown in just six months time. Our following has greatly increased, and we have supporters from all over the country and the world. We have banded together with breeders who used to dock but no longer do so, typical "docked tail" breed loving groups who reject the concept of docking, and many other people. We've been able to help many dog owners identify if their dog is having issues with their docked tail, and have been able to point them in the right direction to seek help for their beloved dog.
 You see, I am incredibly passionate about the topic of tail docking because I have suffered greatly in my 5 years of life because the people who had me before I found my Mommy, had my tail docked. Do you know that they remove a puppy's tail while they are fully awake?? How dreadful. When Mommy and I found each other, she was not happy I did not have a tail, but she did not really understand about it. It took Mommy a little while to realize that some of my unusual behaviors and health issues were all related to my docked tail. She has studied now for years, and has since done a great deal of research.
Tail docking is not just a 'cute way' for some dog breeds to look. It is not an answer to prevent 'potential injury' in a dog's tail, and it is not a 'health requirement' for certain breeds either. It is a useless, senseless practice that involves the removal of part of a dog's spine. It severs vertebrae, muscles, tendons, and nerves...ALL of which are vital to body function and communication for a dog. We basically have millions of dogs in the U.S., Canada and other parts of the world that are needless amputee victims...countless dogs that are suffering in silence for no good reason. A human who has had a part amputated often has phantom pain in the missing limb area, and it is a terrible thing indeed. Well, the same thing happens to dogs with docked tails, but often we have a hard time letting our loved ones know we are suffering.
My tail before surgery as well as the vertebrae they removed during surgery.
It took Mommy years of struggles and trying different things, having vets tell her it was nothing, trying different pain medicines, nerve pain meds (which I still have to take), and finally finding a vet who believed and really understood the issues us docked tail dogs suffer before we were really able to help me long term, and that was with tail surgery.  This photo shows my poor little tail (already docked too short after birth) and the extra shard of vertebrae that was left over from the probable 'shaved removal' of my tail and spine when I was just a tiny puppy. My dear surgeon had to remove yet another vertebrae during the corrective surgery just to give me some relief. It has made a marked difference in my quality of life, but I still have phantom nerve pain on occasion, just not nearly as constant as I did before the corrective surgery.
Soon after my tail surgery. My tails is not nearly as long as the bandage.
This is me after my tail surgery in August 2012. It was a very long and difficult recovery, but my Mommy took excellent care of me, and my wonderful friends and followers of my "No Tail" campaign as well as my blog and Facebook followers were so loving and supportive. I am still healing from it, as it has only been 5 months, and they say it can take up to a year for a full recovery from spine surgery. I have almost no tail anymore, but at least I am able to wag it some now.
No Tail Left Behind's main goal is to share all the information we can about how to help other dogs like me and their families deal with the pain, struggles and difficulties that tail docking cause for so many dogs out there. We believe that EVERY DOG DESERVES A TAIL. Our second goal is to help stop tail docking and ban it in the United States, Canada and eventually the entire world. Many countries have already banned tail docking including Australia, Belgium, the Czeck Republic, France and Italy, just to name a few. Why is the U.S. not banning tail docking too?
Having to wear my neck collar because my tail hurts and I want to go after it.
I know there are lots of people don't believe that tail docking issues exist, insisting that it would be far worse for a dog to get a tail injury than to just remove it before an injury happens. I have always maintained that removing a body part "so that it won't get injured" makes no logical sense, because humans don't do that for their much needed parts. For the people who don't think tail docking is wrong, it makes me wonder if they ever think of how the dog must feel? One lady actually stated regarding my campaign that "schnauzers don't look good with tails". HUH?? That just helps prove my point that tail docking is cosmetic and is not done to benefit the dog at all. I would ask those people to think for a minute and imagine if it was their own body. Imagine if someone decided for you that a part of your body was not pretty, or didn't look good, and they decided for you...to remove it.
A dog's tail is so incredibly useful and is an integral part of our communication, balance and proper usage of sphincter muscles and emptying of anal glands. (This is sort of personal here, but I have issues with my back end because my tail is gone and I can't empty my own anal glands like dogs with tails can do) But the best thing about tails is how much they communicate with other dogs and with people. There are SO many beautiful tails out there in the world, and I love looking at a wagging tail more than anything. I often wonder what my own tail would have looked like. I bet it would be pretty. Mommy thinks I'm pretty no matter what!
I would love to have you join my cause and be a part of our campaign to educate about tail docking, and to help bring about change in our world for dogs everywhere. No dog should suffer what I and so many other dogs suffer with tail docking. Let's make a real change...let's BE the change and join together to end tail docking and all the suffering that comes with it. Please visit my "No Tail Left Behind" Facebook page and follow me on Twitter at @NoTailLeftBhind.
I would love to hear from you, so please share your thoughts on this controversial issue. Please be kind, no matter what your views are. I always welcome conversation, but I believe in being gentle and polite. So let me know in a comment here on my blog, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter. Thank you! And don't ever forget that Every Dog Deserves a Tail!

9 comments:

  1. With you all the way! Excellent post for Blog the Change. The draft horse community began to "wake up" a few years ago and the docking of tails is not so common now. Bravo for your efforts to stop this ridiculous practice!

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  2. Thank you for continuing with a cause so important to every long-tailed dog. It was such a pleasure to host your cause at BTC4animals.com this year and to see you in Blog the Change once more. Congratulations on your six months of explosive growth! You impact is making such a wonderful difference!

    Thank you for Blogging the Change,
    Kim Clune
    BTC4animals
    ThisOneWildLife.com

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  3. Terrific post! I'm always a fan of a healthy tail wag, but had no idea of the possible side effects. I'll be sure to share on my blog, poochieproject.com

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  4. I think this is something that many people are probably not aware of. I know I was not until I found your Facebook page a while ago. But this post gives a great detailed explanation of what it is all about. Pixel is just adorable, and I hope he gets that full recovery soon. I hope to cover this subject on my blog too, and in the meantime am also going to share it on my Facebook page, to try and help spread the word.

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  5. I've never understood the insistence on docking - granted, I was uninformed, but there's just no reason I've ever been given that made sense. Kudos to you on your campaign, here's hoping you have great success with it!

    Thank you for blogging the change for animals,
    Kim Thomas
    Team BtC4A

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  6. Mom and I can't imagine what it must be like for you. Seems to us if we were born with it, there is a reason. Keep up your good work!

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  7. Thank you for participating in Blog the Change Day and sharing your progress on the No Tail Left Behind campaign. I really believe that people should not do these types of surgeries (tail docking, ear cropping, declawing, etc.) unless there is a valid medical reason. I hope you feel better as you continue to heal from your surgery.

    Vicki Cook
    Team BTC4A

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  8. I have never heard of a dog having reoccuring tail pain as a result of tail docking. Can you please give me some links with other examples of this? Are there any academic studies on the topic? Thanks.

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  9. Amazing! I never really comment on blogs but this is by far the best post i have read, really nice. Independence Day Text

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