Tail Docking

Tail docking is the deliberate removal of part of an animal's tail, most often performed on pigs, sheep, dogs, horses and cattle. The reasons given vary by species: preventing tail biting injuries among pigs kept in crowded conditions, reducing the risk of flystrike and making udder inspection easier in sheep, and historically protecting hunting dogs and draft horses from tail injury, though the practice remains controversial on animal welfare grounds and is banned or restricted in many countries.