Animal cruelty investigators have reported a huge rise in the illegal ear cropping of dogs. The Scottish SPCA has reported a rise of more than 600% in calls relating to the cruel and pointless practice in just six years.
And the body now reports that its investigators are being inundated with calls about tiny puppies being mutilated by DIY “vets”, believed to be armed with scissors, kitchen knives and scalpels. The boom in the cruel surgery - where crooks charge up to £1,000 for DIY ops - is being partly blamed on celebrities who have been happy to show of photos of their own animals on Instagram and other social media.
The Daily Record can today reveal a gallery of rogues who were snared by the SSSPCA’s Special Investigations Unit after calls from furious members of the public in relation to ear cropping. They are appealing for information that will shut down the backstreet clinics where the vile operations are taking place, often without adequate anaesthetic.
In January this year Henry Chrystal, 33, pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to causing unnecessary suffering through failing to provide veterinary treatment for injuries caused by a prohibited procedure. His tiny dogs - Donut and Dumpling - were seized and Chrystal was slapped with a two-year ban on keeping animals. He also received a 40-day restriction of liberty order.
A Scottish SPCA SIU inspector involved in the case said they were alerted by a member of the public.He said: “Both dogs had injuries to their ears. The wounds were red, crusted and looked recent.
“We immediately removed the dogs due to concerns for their welfare and took them to one of our centres to be examined by a vet. The vet examined their wounds and found they were still in a stage of healing and appeared to cause some discomfort when touched.
“This illegal procedure would have caused these puppies considerable pain and discomfort, for purely cosmetic reasons.
“The procedures are likely to have taken several minutes and there will have been a lot of bleeding. Both puppies were then left in chronic pain until they received the care they needed at our centre.”
The inspector said Chrystal had claimed he had owned the puppies for two weeks and that their ears were already cropped when he received them. He claimed they were given to him ‘on breeder’s terms’, meaning he would keep them as a pet until the breeder required them back for breeding.
When asked why he hadn’t sought veterinary treatment for the puppies he said that he didn’t take them to the vet because they were ‘not his dogs to take to the vet’. Both pups have been rehomed.
In November last year, Andrew Kirkland was given a 12-month ban on owning, keeping or working with animals. He admitted allowing the dog’s ears to be cropped and claimed he believed such a procedure would make the pet, Kane, less aggressive.
Kirkland, from Airdrie, was also given a Community Payback Order of 190 hours. An SSPCA witness told Airdrie Sheriff Court that Kirkland, 32, originally claimed the ears had been cut in Bulgaria.
Kane was seized and rehomed. The witness later said: “We are pleased that Kirkland has been given a ban but, given that he has shown a premeditated willingness to compromise welfare for a purely cosmetic reason, we would have liked it to be for a longer period of time.”
In May last year Siobhan Buchan, 31, was given a three-year ban on keeping more than one dog following a Scottish SPCA investigation. Buchan of Ferry Road Drive, Edinburgh, was found guilty of failing to seek veterinary treatment for her American bully puppy, Ice, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.
Ice was only five months old when he had the painful ear cropping procedure carried out.
A Scottish SPCA special investigations unit undercover inspector said after the case: “Buchan stated she bought the puppy from France, however the procedure is also illegal there. Buchan allowed Ice to suffer to a great extent without veterinary care in order to avoid police involvement, which has put him at great risk of both physical and psychological harm.”
SSPCA figures show that only 20 calls about ear cropping were made in 2018 but this rocketed to 103 in 2022. The first three months of 2023 saw 35 calls - and SSPCA predicts this could top 150 for the year. Experts say one of the big reasons behind the increase is celebrity - stars and influencers sharing photographs of their own ear-cropped dogs on social media.
In 2022, six fatal dog attacks in the UK listed American Bully as the breed responsible for the attacks, with victims ranging in ages from 17 months to 62 years old. The dogs’ natural aggression can be intensified by irresponsible owners who show aggression to them.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said, “It’s incredibly worrying to see the increase in ear cropping over the past three years. We want to be clear on this: ear cropping is a needless cosmetic procedure that inflicts horrendous suffering on dogs. It serves no purpose other than to make the animal look a certain way.
“In order to avoid detection, this procedure is often carried out on young puppies without sedation, pain relief or proper veterinary care. Due to this, when we are alerted to these types of incidents, the wounds are usually horribly infected and the puppy is in a tremendous amount of pain.
“We would urge the public not to purchase animals with cropped ears. Even if you are told the dog has been imported from another country where this procedure is legal, often this is not the case and the ear cropping has simply been carried out illegally.
“Regardless of where the procedure is carried out, by purchasing that dog you are contributing to their suffering and the suffering of other dogs like them.
“Like many animal welfare issues, if the demand from the public stopped then breeders would have no reason to carry out the procedure.”
“We would urge anyone with information on those carrying out ear cropping procedures to call our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”
