CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 4 October 1884, Page 2

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

The following is the-just issued report of a Committee appointed by the British National Veterinary Congress, in 1881, for further considering the subject of cruelty to animals from a veterinary point of view, and publishing a declaration in the name of the Congress on certain practices and painful operations relating to and performed on animals, namely, whether such practices and operations are sometimes necessary, and if so, under what modifications or qualifications they may be performed; or whether they are unnecessary, and therefore cruel. Lameness may be painless or painful, Those cases where the lameness passes off with exercise are primi facia, cases being accompanied by pain —this specially applies to cases of navicular disease and spavin. In such cases horses ought not to be worked, and when worked it is cruelty, Gingering is decided cruelty. Wounds are not causes of unfitness for work, unless. pressed upon by harness, or affected by the movements of the animal. Twitching.—The practice called "twitching" causes acute pain, and is frequently unjustifiable, especially when a twitch is used by stablemen and others in charge of horses. Burning gums for" Lauipas" is cruelty. Knockiug out wolf-teeth is cruelty. Extracting temporary teeth, save for surgical reasons, is cruelty, Docking and nicking horses are cruel operations when done for fashion, and not to remove malformations or cure disease. Docking sheep under well known conditions is necessary. Marking and branding animals, when necessary, should be performed by the quickest and least painful method.—Worming the tail, docking and cropping the ears of dogs are unnecessary, and therefore cruel operations, when not performed to removo malformations or cure disease. Castration of male animals is necessary, but should be performed in the least painful manner, and by a skilled operator. —Spaying of female animals is unnecessary, and ought to be abolished. —Parturition. Unnecessary pain is often inflicted by ignorant persons when attempting to deliver the young by forcible and cruel means, A skilled and experienced veterinary, surgeon should.always be called in to render assistance in difficult cases. T '" Operations of various kinds are'frequently performed on animals by ig.

noranfc persons, and much cruelty is caused thereby, which ought to be publicly deprecated and prevented by law. All painful operations not required for the good of the animal operated on are of a cruel nature. No operation causing pain to an animal should be performed by an unskilful f person. All necessary operations ought to.be performed ka scientific manner, and by the most humane methods, in order thereby to prevent unnecessary pain.