system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Cosmetic procedures on dogs like tail docking and ear cropping are barbaric and unnecessary.

I’ve recently begun working in animal healthcare, I still see many people requesting these procedures on their dogs because they believe it’s a “breed requirement” for dogs such as pit bulls, Dobermans etc. despite the fact that it’s illegal in many countries.

The procedure is purely cosmetic and has no real benefit to the animal. They cannot give consent. 

I cannot justify the anaesthetic risks, potential post operative complications and pain and discomfort it causes just because “it looks cool”. However I’d like to hear other perspectives because places I work in carry out these procedures and I feel a preexisting prejudice against people that request these things for their pets and that feels unprofessional. 

Do people still see dogs as their “property”?

Edited to add:

Thanks for all the responses! I’m happy to discuss the cost-benefit for working dogs and I’ve learned a lot through the comments. But this post was more about mostly indoor dogs in a big city setting where I work. There’s still lots of people telling me that it’s a “breed requirement” even though these dogs don’t do any real work. Happy tail syndrome was a welcome piece of information. More like that is appreciated 

And I’d take back the consent thing if I could. That’s a whole other can of worms. Let’s talk about cost-benefit instead

*FINAL EDIT* 

Thanks for the wonderful and mostly polite discussion! You have all convinced me that these procedures in working dogs can be beneficial and necessary. Happy tail syndrome is the only reasoning I can agree with for docking in urban non working dogs and I still think of a dog lives in your house away from boars and thorns, its ears should be left alone. If there are people that still support kennel club breed requirements etc for show dogs, I’d like to hear your thoughts. 

Again, I’d like to apologize for the ambiguous wording beforehand. English isn’t my first language and my view wasn’t that these surgeries are never necessary, it’s more that they are evil if their intention is cosmetic. I’ve learned a lot and now it’s time to go to work and maybe have better discussions with owners who want tails snippy snipped. Thanks again ❤️
gpt
I may be incorrect - but isn't there practical / safety benefits to docking a dogs tail as well? Like on farm dogs to prevent it from being bitted or pulled, and from high energy dogs from constantly injury their tails?  

Can't seem to recall any benefit to ear docking.