A Nova Scotia woman is facing animal cruelty charges for allegedly docking puppies’ tails.
The Nova Scotia SPCA says docking is a medical procedure to remove part of the dog's tail. Jo-Anne Landsburg, the chief provincial inspector of the Nova Scotia SPCA, says it is often done by snipping the tail off with scissors, or by placing a special band on the tail to cut off blood supply, which causes the tail to fall off.
The SPCA says the practice of docking tails on dogs was banned in Nova Scotia in 2010. Veterinarians are not permitted to perform the procedure for cosmetic reasons.
Debbie Baggs has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty for causing animals to be in distress by docking puppies’ tails.
The 44-year-old Hunts Point, N.S. woman is due to appear in Dartmouth provincial court on June 7.
