Tail Docking and Ear Cropping in dogs-right or wrong?

For my inaugural post, I would like to discuss a bill that is currently in the works in the state of Illinois. The bill, called Senate Bill 139 The Crop/Dock Bill, would call for severely limiting the practice of animal ear cropping and tail docking to medical reasons only. Other reasons, such as cosmetic purposes, would be considered "animal torture." The bill is now being rewritten after its initial hearing, so the new restrictions might change somewhat.

I find the practices of these procedures to be cruel and usually unnecessary. Some breeds, like the Cocker Spaniel, traditionally had their tails cropped in order to prevent their long, furry tail from catching and being injured on brush while hunting. Most people don't hunt with dogs anymore, so the practice today should be obsolete. Ear docking, on the other hand, is done mainly for cosmetic purposes, although I believe it also allows the formally floppy-eared dog to hear better (which would be invaluable to guard dogs, such as the Doberman Pinscher). Despite these reasons, there's no denying the fact that the procedures are painful to go through. And they're also not necessary in the sense that the dog will die without undergoing these surgeries.

Tail docking is done when puppies are a few days old. The tail is then cut to a certain length depending on the breed. The procedure is quick and no anesthetic is provided, although the puppies cry out in pain and distress. Ear cropping is done at roughly the age of 3 months. After the surgery, where parts of the ear are cut off, the ears are taped up in the correct position. The healing process is painful and sometimes the surgery fails.

The American Kennel Club is against this Bill because it would seriously affect the breed standards of all the dogs that are required to have cropped ears or docked tails. I think it's time that the AKC head in this direction. After all, these practices are illegal in the UK. Watch the Crufts Dog Show and you won't see any dogs with cropped ears or docked tails. It works just fine for them, why should the American dog show world be so resistant? Just because it is in the history of the breed doesn't mean it needs to be a part of its future. This bill will never pass as long as the AKC interferes as it has been, and their attitude seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future, unfortunately.

I would like to know what the general public feels about a law like this. Many dog show breeders and handlers of cropped or docked breeds are inherently biased, although I assume there must be some who would prefer to not subject their dogs to these procedures. The AKC is urging people to write to the Bill's sponsor and other elected officials to inform them of their displeasure regarding the bill, but I wonder of there have been any breeders or handlers who have voiced their agreement of the proposed law.