RESEARCH by animal charity the RSPCA has found a five-fold increase in the number of reports of dog ear-cropping over five years.
Details of the charity’s investigation were released following the conviction of Simon Davis, at Coventry Magistrates Court, for cropping the ears of dogs he bred.
Davis, 34, of Bedworth was banned from keeping dogs and ordered to pay over £10,000 in costs.
The animal welfare charity is urging dog owners not to buy puppies who have had the illegal procedure carried out on them.
Ear cropping is illegal under the Animal Welfare Act but, since 2015, the RSPCA is receiving more reports about dogs having their ears removed.
The charity fears that images shared on social media, especially from the USA and in Europe where the practice is legal or unregulated in many countries, celebrity culture and an increase in bull breeds seen in advertising, is making the ‘look’ more popular.
The painful procedure is carried out for cosmetic purposes – often to make the dogs look fierce – but experts have warned it can be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare.
Latest figures show reports to the RSPCA of ear-cropping cases have soared by five-fold in five years.
In 2015 there were 13 cases reported to the charity. Last year, in 2019, the number had dramatically risen to 69.
The charity said “We have found a concerning trend for certain bull breed types to have cropped ears such as American bullies, cane corsos, presa canarias and dobermans. Often, dogs are having their ears cropped as puppies, sometimes as young as six weeks old.”
RSPCA dog welfare expert Dr Samantha Gaines said: “Ear cropping is a process where ears are removed or surgically altered, usually for the purposes of appearance.
“It’s a painful and wholly unnecessary process which does not benefit the dog in any way and can, in fact, be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare.
“We do not believe dogs should be mutilated for cosmetic purposes and we’d urge people not to buy a dog with cropped ears as – whether the process was carried out here or overseas – they still will have undergone this very painful process.”
