Tail Docking – Court Case

At Naas District Court on 20 October 2025, two Kildare men were convicted for their roles in the docking of the tails of seven Doberman puppies. They were each fined €3,500 and each ordered to pay €1000 costs to the NSPCA.

The court heard that in May 2023, NSPCA Inspector James McCormack visited a premises and found seven two-week-old Doberman puppies with their tails removed. The pups and their mother were seized and taken from the premises for veterinary assessment.

During interviews conducted as part of the investigation, admissions were made revealing that the mother dog had been sold without the seller knowing she was pregnant. After she gave birth, the buyer arranged for an unqualified person, described as “an old man down the road”, to dock the puppies’ tails. The original owner of the mother then took her and the pups back but failed to provide any veterinary care for the injuries to their tails.

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Tail Docking – Court Case

Judge Desmond Zaidan questioned why anyone would cut a dog’s tail off. Inspector McCormack explained that it is often done for cosmetic reasons, even though a tail is vital for communicating with other dogs and people. When Judge Desmond Zaidan asked how the procedure was carried out, one of the defendants said, “it would have been done with a sharp blade”. The court heard that there was no evidence of any pain relief being provided during the procedure.

Looking at the photographic evidence provided by the NSPCA, Judge Zaidan remarked to the defendants that a person would feel pain if a digit was removed in that way.

In mitigation, the Inspector confirmed that apart from the tail injuries, the dogs were otherwise healthy and well cared for. The puppies have since been rehomed by the NSPCA, and the mother was returned on agreement that she would be cared for by his former partner.

Speaking after the case Inspector McCormack said “This was a case of cruelty inflicted on seven beautiful pups at a very young age. They were less than two weeks old when the procedure was carried out, their eyes still closed and totally defenseless. This was done purely for cosmetic reasons and the pain and suffering caused was wholly unnecessary. A dog’s tail is a vital part of how they move and communicate, and express emotion. Docking of tails by members of the public has been outlawed in Ireland since 2014 and it can only be done by a competent veterinary practitioner or veterinary nurse under certain conditions. We hope that this case might deter others from flouting the law and prevent further unnecessary suffering to our canine companions”.