H'wood to ban cosmetic surgery for pets

All dogs go to heaven. And the ones from West Hollywood may now get there with their ears and tails intact. The mayor has proposed a new ordinance making "tail-docking" and "ear-cropping" illegal.

All dogs go to heaven. And the ones from West Hollywood may now get there with their ears and tails intact.

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The mayor of West Hollywood -- a liberal, pet-embracing city adjacent to Los Angeles that two years ago brought America a ban on the declawing of cats -- has proposed a new ordinance making "tail-docking" and "ear-cropping" illegal.

The new law, which was scheduled for debate before the West Hollywood City Council on Monday, would also ban other nontherapeutic or cosmetic surgeries on animals.

"By docking the tails of dogs or cropping their ears, animals are subjected to painful and unnecessary procedures and somebody has to stand up to this cruelty," West Hollywood Mayor John Duran said in a written statement.

"I believe the anti-declawing ordinance was the first step in addressing human cruelty to animals but we have to do more and this proposed ordinance is the next step," he said. "West Hollywood has never hesitated to take necessary actions to stop cruelty to animals."

Tail-docking and ear-cropping are prohibited by law in some European countries.