According to a BBC investigation, networks of breeders are offering to do dog mutilation by cropping ears to fit a social media trend.
Ears are cut or “cropped” when a portion of the ear flap is removed for cosmetic purposes.
One breeder informed an undercover journalist that it gave the American bulldog breed a “striking” appearance.
The United Kingdom prohibits the practice. But breeders are selling fake pet passports to make it appear as if the dog had his ears cut somewhere else.
During the inquiry, one breeder attempted to sell a BBC Wales undercover journalist a puppy for £13,000 and mentioned removing the dogs’ ears, which is against the Animal Welfare Act in the UK.
Dogs Trust’s Paula Boyden claimed the technique had “no justification at all”. Also, it might cause health and behavioral problems for the dogs.
“Some animals then go on to develop infections or don’t like people touching their ears,” she said.
“We’ve also seen behavior issues because dogs communicate with their ears, and without them, they may have difficulty in doing that with their owners or other dogs.”
Cropping = Shame
BBC Wales Investigates is tracking down several breeders who post photographs of cropped-eared dogs online.
Dog mutilation of cropping ears is “a shame”, according to one breeder, Moheiz Adam, because it gives canines a “striking look.”
He offered to sell a dog to an undercover journalist for £13,000, together with a pet passport and a microchip.
“[Another man] just takes care of it, brings back the paperwork… if questions are asked you basically [say] that’s how you bought it, from an Irishman. It came from Europe and that’s all you know.
“All of my dogs have been done by him and let’s just say as long as you get it done at the right age, it looks 10 out of 10,” he said.
Illegal dog mutilation : Cropping ears
Mr. Adam held up the puppy during a video conversation and stated, “That will all come off,” alluding to its ear.
Daniella Dos Santos, former president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), said she was “devastated” by what the BBC’s investigation revealed.
“Cropping of ears is an illegal mutilation is done for no other reason than… cosmetic reasons and the whole conversation throughout has been about how these dogs look.
“It’s all for status. There are no health benefits to these dogs at all.”
Mr. Adam later stated that while he would “like to have dogs’ ears removed”. It was against the law and that he had “never arranged for it to be done.”
Loophole
Joshua Harty, a breeder from Cardiff, told an undercover journalist that he could also arrange cropping and provide a foreign pet passport and microchip.
Another breeder, Joshua Harty, from Cardiff, told an undercover journalist that he, too, could arrange cropping and supply a foreign pet passport and microchip.
“To get the ears and the passport and the chip is normally around £500… my vet gets them from Turkey.
“I’ve taken dogs to shows in Ireland, Spain, and obviously I’ve had to cross borders, and I’ve taken these passports and I’ve got through every time. Never had a problem,” he said.
Daniella Dos Santos said what Mr. Harty was suggesting was “facilitating a crime”.
“It’s all completely illegal, the cropping of ears, the false passports, everything about this is a dodgy system,” she said.
“Yet again, looking at these animals as commodities and money-making machines rather than living sentient beings.”
She added: “The reason this is happening is because there is a loophole that allows the importation of dogs with cropped ears, and that’s just acting as a smokescreen clearly for it happening in the UK.”
BBC Wales approached Mr. Harty for comment, but he did not reply.
Social Media
After being taken from an unlawful breeder by Cardiff council, Vanessa Waddon of the dog rescue charity Hope has been caring for pups who have been mutilated.
After their ears cut, the puppies were likely to be worth £1,500 more.
Ms. Waddon believes that social media stars tweeting photographs of cropped-eared dogs are driving demand. She was citing footballer Marcus Rashford, Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Love Island’s Jack Fincham as examples.
“Whenever celebrities post things online, people inevitably think ‘oh that dog looks nice maybe I’ll get one like that,” she said.
“While [the celebrities] may have imported the dogs legally, there are people cropping illegally in the UK to meet demand.”
BBC Wales approached Mr. Rashford, Ms. Pinnock, and Mr. Fincham’s representatives. But no response came.
Animal Welfare Plan
The proposed Kept Animals Bill, according to the UK government, would prohibit the entry of dogs with cropped ears and puppies under the age of six months.
A Welsh government spokeswoman said the country had a five-year Animal Welfare Plan in place to combat unlawful dog breeding. It included new regulations, and it was actively monitoring developments.
The regulation, however, would not operate, according to Ms. Boyden, unless border agents checked imported pets.
“A ban on importation is to be welcomed. But a law is only as good as its enforcement and at the moment there is no detail on what resources will be available to check for cropped ears or if they look underage,” she said.
Ms. Waddon added: “We work with excellent enforcement officers. They just don’t have the resources to investigate all of the cases that have been reported to them.
“You can have the best legislation in place, but unless it’s being enforced, is never going to be fully effective.”
