By Steve Bargeton, political editor

MSPs YESTERDAY backed controversial plans to outlaw the practice of docking dog tails, even though animals will be injured as a result.

The new regulations, outlawing a number of animal mutilations, are being brought in next month as a result of the Animal Health and Welfare Scotland Act.

A similar ban on docking is due to come into place next month in England, but there will be exemptions for working dogs, with pups allowed to be docked up to five days old.

However, MSPs on the Scottish Parliament Environment and Rural Development Committee yesterday voted five to one, with one abstention, for a total ban in Scotland.

The decision was taken despite hearing evidence that working dogs would be injured.

Scottish Executive official Ian Strachan told the committee, “There is bound to be an increase in tail damage because you can’t damage what you don’t have. The issue here is the extent of damage— whether it is just a small cut, or whether we are talking about severe damage.”

Mid-Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Ted Brocklebank argued for an exemption for working dogs.

“I believe the minister’s decision on this has been misguided and could inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on working dogs,” he said.

Mr Brocklebank said the ban would be impossible to police as pregnant bitches could be taken across the border to England for the pups to be born and the tails docked, and they could then be brought back north of the border.

Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said the evidence from professional organisations including the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the British Veterinary Association and British Small Animal Veterinary Association was in favour of a total ban had been compelling.

“We have consulted extensively and we have had a wide variety of views, we have had views very well put to us on both sides of that argument.”

Alex Hogg, chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers’ Association, said, “We were assured half way through the bill that they would leave working dogs alone.

“In the last month we went to Ross Finnie with three rural vets to explain the problem, as a lot of the evidence has come from urban vets who don’t see working dogs.

“To admit it is going to cause pain and misery makes a mockery of the whole bill.”

The bill will now go before the full Parliament before becoming law.