The Amicus, compiled and written by New York attorneys Amy Trakinski and Leonard Egert, contends that tail docking done solely for cosmetic reasons constitutes cruelty under the New York Agriculture and Markets Law, and both AKC and ABC are furthering acts of cruelty in violation of the law by promoting the practice.

"It is well beyond time that the AKC stop its outdated and ridiculous practice of requiring people to mutilate their dogs just for cosmetic purposes," said IDA president, Elliot Katz, DVM. "All of my training as a veterinarian tells me that this practice is cruel, outdated and entirely unnecessary. Puppies have no choice in the matter. And if they did, I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t want their bodies mutilated for just the sake of vanity."

Tail docking is commonly performed without anesthesia and is done by wrapping a rubber band around a puppy’s tail. The band restricts and ultimately stops the blood flow to the dog’s tail, which results in a form of dry gangrene. The tail then falls off in about three days after the procedure. One veterinarian has described the process as being the equivalent of "slamming one’s finger in a car door and leaving it there."

Even the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has adopted a formal resolution against tail docking and ear cropping that states, "Ear cropping and tail docking in dogs for cosmetic reasons are not medically indicated nor of benefit to the patient. These procedures cause pain and distress, and, as with all surgical procedures, are accompanied by inherent risks of anesthesia, blood loss and infection."

"Claims by the AKC that these practices are ‘integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health’ are wholly unfounded," said Dr. Katz. "It is abhorrent to me that people who are supposedly acting in the best interest of dogs would advocate and demand their cruel disfigurement."