New York, NY – New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF, Manhattan) unveiled a bill last week that would prohibit the docking of tails in cattle – a cruel practice where cows’ tails are forcibly removed, usually without anesthesia. This is completed either surgically, via cauterization through the use of irons and other implements, or through banding, where a tight elastic band is applied to the tail, ceasing blood flow and causing the tail to eventually fall off and inflicting great pain in the process.

“After learning about this horrific procedure, I felt compelled to introduce legislation prohibiting this form of cruelty in New York,” said Assemblymember Rosenthal. “As a member of the New York State Assembly Committee on Agriculture, I am committed to creating more humane conditions on our farms. New York is the third largest dairy producer in the country and we have the ability to set industry trends nationwide. When we declare that tail docking is an unacceptably cruel practice, we make considerable progress towards prohibiting it everywhere.”

This bill was filed in response to a recent undercover investigation conducted by the anti-cruelty advocacy organization Mercy for Animals, which captured horrific video footage of this procedure along with a litany of other abuses on Willet Dairy farm in Locke, NY. The site houses 7,500 cows. Mercy for Animals’ findings were incorporated into a recent ABC Nightline report that has garnered national outrage.

While tail docking was once believed to provide epidemiological benefits and reduced rates of infection, this misconception has been steadily debunked as 19th century science. Tail docking has been linked to higher rates of infection, physiologic stress, and both acute and chronic pain in cattle. In addition, it deprives cows of the ability to swat away flies, maggots and other insects. The American Veterinary Medical Association opposes the practice and the American Association of Bovine Practitioners does not find the requisite scientific evidence to support tail docking. In recent years, several countries including Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Scotland and the United Kingdom and the state of California have passed similar legislation outlawing the procedure.

Assemblymember Rosenthal said, “Tail docking lacks any scientific foundation yet remains an industry-wide practice. I am proud to stand up and oppose this procedure, which can lead to health complications and suffering in cattle. Our state has the opportunity to rectify this horrible practice and I am committed to passing tail-docking legislation this session.”