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Isn't It Time for California Dairy Farmers to Stop Cutting Cows' Tails Off?

Many large-scale dairy producers routinely cut off a large portion of their cows’ tails. A bill has been passed by the state Senate to ban the cruel and unnecessary practice of tail docking in California, but the dairy industry is telling your state assemblymembers to oppose the measure. Your voice is needed!

Tail docking came into fashion in the dairy industry several years ago when many producers, especially large factory farms, decided that handling cows would be so much easier if their tails were cut off. They said it would prevent dirt on the cows’ tails from soiling their udders, improving the hygiene and health of both cows and workers. Yet all the research that has been done on the practice shows that tail docking provides no such benefits.

The only measurable results of tail docking are acute and chronic pain from the procedure itself – commonly performed by the application of a constrictive band that cuts off blood flow to the tail – and increased stress during fly season when cows can no longer ward off biting insects effectively. That is why the conservative American Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have both issued position statements opposing routine tail docking.

In California, however, the state’s dairy industry is dead set against banning this cruel practice, and they are putting substantial pressure on your state assemblymembers to defeat the bill. As members of the Assembly Agriculture Committee prepare for a hearing on the bill next Wednesday (July 1), California cows need you to speak up! Let the committee members know that they should support this modest but important reform!

You Can Help:
Don’t let industrial farming lobbyists stand in the way of this modest but important reform. Contact the Assembly Agriculture Committee members  today to urge their support for SB 135!

Send a quick and easy e-mail for the cows. Remember to personalize the letter with your own words to make it more effective.

After you send your e-mail, follow up with a phone call to each of the committee members simply stating your support for SB 135.