According to a BBC investigation, some dog breeders are proposing to "crop" the ears of puppies to meet demand fuelled by social media.
Cutting a portion of the American Bully breed's ear flap to produce a pointed appearance is part of the mutilating technique. In the United Kingdom, the method is prohibited by the Animal Welfare Act, making it unlawful.
Cutting Dog Ears
According to the inquiry, several breeders volunteered to cut the ears of puppies they thought they were selling to an interested buyer, who turned out to be an undercover BBC Wales journalist.
Cropping was unlawful, according to one breeder, who was selling puppies for £13,000. He claimed it was "sad" because it gave the dogs a "striking appearance."
On the other hand, Dogs Trust's Paula Boyden claimed there was "absolutely no reason" for clipping the dogs' ears and cautioned that doing so might lead to infections or behavioral disorders.
Dogs Feeling Discomfort and Pain
She told the BBC that some dogs with cropped ears "don't appreciate people touching their ears," while others have trouble connecting with their owners or other dogs without their ears.
Ear cropping is an "unnecessary, unpleasant mutilation with no welfare advantage," according to the British Veterinary Association (BVA).
Although the technique is unlawful in the UK, it is permissible to import and sell dogs with cropped ears, and sending dogs overseas to have their ears cut is not a particular infraction.
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Increased Cropping Cases
The BVA warned earlier this year that unlawful ear cropping has increased by 236% in the previous five years, with the number of reports up 236 percent since 2017.
According to the results of a BVA poll, nearly six out of ten (58%) small animal veterinarians had seen dogs with cropped ears in the recent year.
Dobermans were the most prevalent breeds with clipped ears, with American Bulldogs and Cane Corsos coming in second and third, respectively.
"This surge in numbers might be fueled by an increase in celebrities and social media influencers exhibiting their cropped-ear dogs on platforms like Instagram, contributing to the glamourization and normalization of this brutal practice," the organization stated.
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix, and former Love Island contestant Jack Fincham have all shared photos of their cropped-ear pets on social media.
Demands
"Whenever celebrities publish stuff online, people automatically think, 'oh, that dog looks good, maybe I'll get one like that," Vanessa Waddon, of canine rescue organization Hope, told the BBC.
"This investigation lifts the lid on the scale and ease with which unscrupulous breeders across the UK are using loopholes in the law as a smokescreen for carrying out ear cropping, a painful and cruel surgical procedure that has no medical or welfare benefits for the dogs," BVA president Justine Shotton told The Independent.
#CutTheCrop
"The huge increase in the number of dogs with clipped ears has caused worry among veterinarians and animal welfare organizations. Following our successful #CutTheCrop campaign and petition with The FOAL Group earlier this year, we were ecstatic to learn that the government has agreed to prohibit the import of cropped dogs.
"The campaign's strength and breadth of support have indicated loud and clear that we must do whatever it takes to stop imports, but there is also work to be done in the UK to root out unlawful conduct."
"We hope that our research increases wider awareness about this unethical and illegal dog breeding activity and that it emphasizes the need of always purchasing a puppy ethically, putting health above appearances."
"Ear cropping is a painful and needless technique in which part or all of a dog's ears are removed or surgically changed," said an RSPCA Cymru representative. It is of no advantage to the dog and may even be harmful to their health, behavior, and welfare.
"Dogs should never be mutilated for aesthetic reasons, and while this practice has been outlawed in our nation for a long time, any reports that this activity is still being carried out domestically, in violation of the law, is quite concerning."
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