Further news on this. Many will know that the Kennel Club have a page on their website that announces a Defra 'clarification' which says that docked dogs are allowed to compete at agility shows where spectators pay to enter. I searched online to find the actual text of this clarification but could find nothing so I contacted Defra. This is the reply I received from Defra on 29 October:
'Thank you for your follow up email of 23 October about tail docked dogs competing in agility trials. I have been asked to reply.
I can assure you that Defra have provided no such clarification. Only the courts can interpret the law as it applies to individual cases.
In the case of fly balling and agility, this is a grey area. The legislation says that the dog cannot be shown, other than for demonstrations of its working ability, but is no more specific.
I hope this is helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Simone Cooper
Customer Contact Unit - Defra'
I am of course querying this with the Kennel Club but it has not been resolved even though I first contacted them in October. Someone there told me that there was no official text from Defra but 'it was just a letter from someone at Defra to someone at the Kennel Club'. I am waiting to hear further from the KC, and will post when I do.
