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Mutilated for money

Dogs need their ears, but all it takes is a few clicks in the right places to find so many dogs being sold without them. 

Bred to look ‘tough’ and make a fortune for their breeders, dogs with cropped ears are a growing trend. Sadly, ear cropping is a traumatic procedure and can cause a huge amount of pain and suffering.

Don't buy into the trend

Ear cropping is a completely unnecessary process where the ear flap is shaped or removed, sometimes using scissors and knives. In many cases it is done by irresponsible breeders who want to sell them at a higher price.

While those who practise ear cropping claim it helps protect dogs against injury and infections, it is in fact untrue. 

The procedure is often done on puppies without any vet intervention or anaesthetic, which can result in long-term pain. Cutting a dog’s ears can also harm their ability to communicate. Their social skills are impaired, impacting the dog’s behaviour.

Cropping a dog’s ears is already illegal under the Animal Welfare Act, but that hasn’t stopped unscrupulous breeders from doing it.

Criminals are mutilating dogs, and cashing in

Sadly, breeding dogs and cropping their ears is profitable and a litter of puppies with cropped ears is a quick way to cash in. Litters can be worth tens of thousands of pounds, and people are making a huge business out of the pain of helpless dogs.

Suspect someone ear cropping?

If you suspect someone is illegally cropping dogs’ ears, report this to us.

We’re all ears for change

We’re working in collaboration with Hope Rescue in Wales to help spread awareness about the cruelty of ear cropping. Hope Rescue has helped dozens of dogs and puppies who have had their ears brutally cut off. 

Our figures released in 2022 show a rise in ear cropping. A 621% increase in the number of reports of ear cropping and cropped ears raised with us in the last six years. In 2022, we had a total of 391 calls related to ear cropping.

Take action before it's too late

Last year, almost 15,000 of you spoke up against ear cropping. We finally have a chance to crackdown on the imports of dogs with cropped ears with the new Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets Bill.

Take action below to write to your MP and ask them to support this vital change before the Bill's next reading.