Happy cows

Gov. Schwarzenegger recently signed a bill that will prohibit tail docking in the dairy industry, according to Farm Sanctuary, a farm-animal protection agency with sanctuaries in Orland and New York.

The governor signed the bill after the organization sent him a letter on behalf of Bob Barker, Kim Basinger, Bill Maher, Alicia Silverstone, other celebrities and more than 200,000 members who supported the banning of tail docking.

Tail docking refers to the amputation of a cow’s tail by applying a tight rubber ring around the appendage until it falls off, or by cutting the tail off with shears, usually without analgesics. The lack of tail prohibits cows from shooing off insects, which leads to a greater risk of disease during fly season.