Last week in Pittsburgh, six Cane Corso puppies were found whimpering in a basement—tails hacked off with crude tools. One died from blood loss. The two men accused of mutilating them were arrested and held without bail.

This isn’t just a Pennsylvania tragedy. Across the United States, it’s still legal in many states to slice off a puppy’s tail or crop their ears at home, without anesthesia, and with no veterinary training. Some states allow it up to five days after birth. Others never prosecute unless the animal dies.

That’s not animal care. It’s mutilation.

Right now, the United States has no federal law banning or regulating cosmetic surgeries like tail docking, ear cropping, dewclaw removal, or debarking. That leaves a patchwork of state laws—some strong, many weak, and others full of loopholes that backyard breeders and abusive owners exploit.

Even in states with partial protections, like Pennsylvania, the law still lets anyone dock a puppy’s tail during the first five days of life, no matter how painful or unsafe it is.

We need a national standard.

We, the undersigned, demand that Congress and the USDA take action now:

Ban all non-veterinary cosmetic surgeries on dogs and cats. Only licensed veterinarians should be allowed to perform tail docking, ear cropping, or debarking—and only with medical justification and anesthesia.

If a puppy can die from a botched tail docking in a basement, it’s time to end this practice everywhere. Let’s bring U.S. law in line with modern veterinary ethics—and protect animals from needless pain and disfigurement.