She was - unsurprisingly - incredibly wary of people and it took staff months to build up her confidence and ability to trust. We fear increased numbers are being driven by dogs who are being sent abroad to have their ears cropped or who are being purchased and imported from countries where cropping is still legal. The practise of ear cropping is legal in America and other European countries. While, in the UK the cropped look is becoming normalised - and even glamorised - due to an increase in celebrities owning cropped dogs.
In fact, images of cropped dogs are even being used on items of clothing and other merchandise, as well as in advertising. Ear cropping is painful and completely unnecessary. Despite what some breeders will claim, cropping a dog's ears does not benefit them in any way. It can be detrimental to their health, behaviour and welfare in the short-term and in the long-term.
Dogs have their ears cropped for one reason and one reason only; to achieve a certain 'look'. In short, it makes them look tougher, more intimidating. Historically, breeds such as Dobermans had their ears cropped as puppies and then splinted - taped to bits of wood or cardboard - to make their ears grow upwards instead of leaving them to go floppy. Now, we tend to see breeds such as American bullies having their whole ears removed.
Dogs are being put through this painful process simply to make them look a certain way. It's entirely for the owner's taste and could affect the dogs for the rest of his or her life.
We want to see tougher regulations in England and Wales to ensure that we stamp out ear cropping and the importation of cropped dogs from abroad once and for all unless through a reputable rescue organisation for rehoming.
That's why we're supporting dog trainer, Jordan Shelley's petition , calling for a ban on the importation of dogs with cropped ears. More than 16, people have added their names to the online petition.
Will you be next to add yours? Keep up to date with our latest stories about animal rescues, animal welfare and much more. Mr Russell added: "I absolutely recognise that the bond they have to their animals now goes way beyond the shape of their ears. So this is about preventing future harm to other animals.
A post shared by Nicola Adams nicolaadams. There is no suggestion that any of these stars broke the law or knew the dogs were cropped or were aware of the practice when they got them, and many have other dogs or pets as well and show their love for their animals on social media.
Animal welfare experts say they would like more owners with big platforms to speak out about how the look is unnatural. A spokesperson for Adams said the boxer bought her dog when she was living in the US and its ears had already been cropped. He added: "Nicola would never have chosen to put her dog through any unnecessary procedure.
Fincham released a video and a statement on Instagram in March, saying: "I do not condone, whatsoever, especially for aesthetic purposes, getting dogs ears cropped or their tails docked. There's no need for it. Gray has also previously commented in response to a message on Instagram to say that neither he nor Pinnock supported the procedure for their dog. On Instagram, Adams last shared a photo of her dog in April, while Fincham posted a picture of all five of his dogs at the end of May.
Rashford and Pinnock's last posts of their pets on their main Instagram pages are from last year. Ear cropping is most often carried out on guarding breeds such as mastiffs, Dobermanns and American bullies different to American bulldogs , and involves removing the floppy part of the ears when a dog is a puppy, often, animal experts and campaigners say, to achieve a more aggressive and intimidating appearance. In many cases with Dobermanns, the ears are splinted to make them point upwards; a look many might be unaware is unnatural as it became commonplace.
And search for a photograph of an American bully online and you'll be hard-pressed to find one without cropped ears. There are companies in the UK selling imported animals as security dogs, often to high-profile clients, and they are believed to sell for tens of thousands of pounds in some cases. Sky News contacted two firms featuring photographs of both cropped and uncropped dogs on their websites, but neither responded with a comment.
So there are lifelong implications. Ear cropping is illegal in England and Wales, unless it is carried out for medical reasons, under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act , and punishment is about to get more severe. Finally, dogs with cropped ears can have problems with expression compared to dogs with normal mobile ears.
It is unknown if this affects how dogs interact with each other, but there has been some evidence that it affects how dogs interact with people. Because some people think a dog with cropped ears looks fiercer, they may subconsciously treat dogs like this more negatively, causing all sorts of welfare issues. This is especially important for us vets, as we deal with dangerous dogs every day and need these subtle early warning signs to know when to be wary.
This means that all ear cropping is illegal unless a vet recommends it for medical reasons; no UK vet can perform ear cropping for cosmetic reasons. Ear cropping does still occur in the UK illegally, and there have been a number of cases in the news recently where breeders have been arrested for doing so — please report anyone you suspect of doing this to the RSPCA or police.
Although much of the world has outlawed ear cropping, some countries have not — cropping ears is still practised in the USA. The American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA does recommend against ear cropping, but no state has explicitly banned it and the practice is still widespread though thankfully getting rarer. This means that, particularly at dog shows, cropped ears are a common sight.
There are increasing numbers of dogs with cropped ears in the UK, after being imported mainly from the USA — this practice perpetuates the stereotype of certain dogs having cropped ears, and creates a market for American breeders to keep cropping ears. Furthermore, as mentioned above, The Kennel Club has not updated all of its breed standards to explicitly state which dogs should have naturally upright ears and which should be floppy as with the case of the Dobermann.
This leads to confusion over whether it is normal, and could encourage the importation of dogs with cropped ears. So what should you as a dog owner do? We would strongly advise against purchasing a dog illegally cropped in the UK, or importing one cropped legally from any other country.
This should hopefully reduce the demand and discourage the practice both illegally in the UK or legally abroad. On social media, try to resist following owners of dogs with cropped ears — exposure makes abnormal things seem normal, so reducing their popularity can help convince people that it is not normal.
There are plenty of very cute dogs out there with natural floppy ears that would love a follow! All of these steps should discourage people wanting dogs with cropped ears, and mean unscrupulous breeders will be less likely to keep cropping. It would be good of The Kennel Club to be clear on which dogs should have upright ears or not. Contacting them to voice your concerns or only owning dogs which the KC states should have floppy ears may help get the message across.
Finally, there is a petition to the UK government asking for a ban on importing dogs with cropped ears — this is a great petition that could stop almost all dogs with cropped ears coming into the country so we encourage you to sign it.
Animal rights have made huge gains in the last few decades, but there is still work to be done worldwide. You can do your bit by being aware of the specific issue of dogs with cropped ears and avoiding promoting this practice in any way. With some time and effort, we would like to see all dogs, whether their ears are naturally floppy or upright, remain in this natural-born state. Your email address will not be published.
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