Humane Society Abandons Tail Docking Proposals

Animal rights advocates are ending a campaign to ban the practice of cutting the tails of Colorado dairy cows.

Animal rights advocates are ending a campaign to ban the practice of cutting the tails of Colorado dairy cows.

In an announcement Tuesday, the Humane Society of the United States said state officials had “misconstrued” the language of the proposals and it was too late to request that the language be changed for this fall’s election.

Some dairy farms partially cut or dock the tails of cows to keep manure, mud and other debris off but the industry says the practice is becoming rarer.

The Humane Society’s proposals included getting rid of existing agricultural exemptions to the state’s animal mistreatment laws. The Greeley Tribune reports that the agricultural industry was concerned that would put producers at risk for penalties for using currently accepted practices.

DHM Logo-Black-CL
Read Next
From 100 cows to 10,000, the dairy industry is a house divided. It’s time to look past the labor debate and rediscover the common bond that unites every family-owned operation.
Get News Daily
Get Market Alerts
Get News & Markets App