Question Pet owners neuter their animals. They rip out their claws, shave their fur, slice off their tales, and clip their ears. What if I, for whatever reason, wanted to give my dog a sex-change operation? I’m not sure what would drive somebody to do such a thing but should it be considered acceptable? Would that be crossing a line? Would it be cruel? Is it a pet owner’s right since the pet is his/her property? Where do animal cruelty laws come into play?

Accepted:
March 16, 2009

Comments

Interesting question. In Texas (for example), animal cruelty laws forbid torturing, killing, "seriously injuring," or cruelly confining an animal. There is no exemption for pet owners; you don't get to do just anything you want to your own pet. Though it seems like "seriously injuring," having a vet remove testicles, rip out claws, slice off tails, etc., is not taken to be a violation.

In the case of farm animals, it's clear what the statute says about such things. You can castrate, clip beaks, cut off tails, and kill farm animals because the statute explicitly says "generally accepted" treatment of farm animals is exempt. I think this is implicit in the clauses about pets. Generally accepted veterinary practice is exempt.

As to the moral, as opposed to the legal issues, I think all these things need careful thought. You are basically arguing, I take it, that there has to be a limit on what can be done to pets. It surely can't be right to put your cat through a sex change operation. I agree. A pet owner ought to think of a pet not merely as a means to his own satisfaction; the animal's good has to be the first consideration (though perhaps not the only consideration).

Looking at things that way, I have a hard time believing it's ethical to have cosmetic surgery performed on animals--and that's what ear-clipping and tail-docking amount to.

Declawing is rather different. Some people would not save the lives of cats at shelters unless they had the option of declawing them. They don't mind keeping cats from climbing trees, since they think they're better off inside, where they live longer lives. They think cats can live happy lives without being able to exercise the instinct to scratch. If you value your furniture hightly, and attach high importance to saving and prolonging lives, declawing won't seem like a bad option. Personally, I don't value my furniture all that highly, and think quality of life is significantly higher for cats who retain their claws and get to explore the outside world. I have cats with claws, and furniture that doesn't look that good.

Neutering is a tricky issue. It does seem to take away a lot of quality of life to neuter animals. They lose out on a big part of their lives, and neutered males are deprived of testosterone. This might be quite a loss. Again, the issue is about quality and quantity of life. To allow animals the fullest possible lives, you'd have to be able to accept the idea that huge numbers will wind up as strays, and eventually be killed at animal shelters.