A young handler has been left “gutted” after her dog was banned from a show because his tail has been amputated.
Izzie Yardley, 7, wanted to enter her six-year-old Maltese dog, Mason, in to the RSPCA’s fun dog show held in Chesterfield Queen’s Park but was told she would not be welcome because of her pet’s missing tail.
The law bans dogs with docked tails from competing in shows - but Mason’s tail was amputated by a vet four weeks ago after he was bitten by an insect in the woods.
Mum Kim, said: “We were upset that he would lose his beautiful tail but if we had left it he could have gone on to possibly contract septicaemia, or chew it off.
“We are totally against docking for cosmetic reasons.”
Kim told show organisers that Mason’s tail had been removed for medical reasons and could provide confirmation from her vets - but was told she would not be able to bring her pet onto the show ground.
She added: “Izzie is absolutely gutted. She thinks it’s very unfair.
“She loves looking after Mason and brushing him. It’s just a fun thing for her enjoyment. It’s only a fun show and we wanted to take part to help raise money for the charity.”
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We are sorry that we were unable to enter this dog in the fun dog show, but it would have been against the law for our staff to enter him, despite them having every sympathy with the owner and the incident which led to the dog losing his tail.
“The law in this area does not discriminate between dogs whose tails have been amputated for medical reasons.”
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