A new law in Pennsylvania, House Bill 39, bans five surgeries on dogs unless performed by veterinarians. When I read the list, I was a bit surprised that any of these things were permissible for a pet owner to do and that a law had to be passed to ensure dogs are under the care of a vet — and anesthesia — for these painful procedures.

Gov. Ed Rendell said, ”Until now, these cruel practices could be carried out by dog owners without proper training and without supervision by a licensed vet, which could lead to long-term injury, pain and, in some cases, death to these defenseless animals.”

 The banned surgeries include: 
1. Cropping, trimming, or cutting off an ear
2. Debarking by cutting or injuring the vocal cords
3. Docking or cutting off the tail of a dog over five days of age
4. Surgically birthing a dog
5. Removing the dewclaws from a dog over five days of age

The dog’s owner must keep a record of the surgery, including the vet who performed it and the location and date where the surgery was performed. The law also adds further protection by making it a third degree felony offense to steal an animal for dogfighting.

The new law goes into affect in October and follows on the heels of the state’s most recent crackdown last year on puppy mills.

You can read Pennsylvania’s law here.