Rise in illegal dog ear cropping

Cutting off dogs' ears for fashion - 7th February 2022

Selling puppies is big business. Now, there's a new fashion. It started on social media. Dog breeders are cutting off dogs' ears.

This can make the animals look dangerous. It's popular with dogs like the American Bully. But people can't cut dogs' ears in the UK. It's against the law.

A newspaper found out about a problem. Some UK dog breeders cut dogs' ears. They say the dogs come from outside the UK. They make false passports for the animals. Breeders can sell the puppies for over £10,000.

One woman, Vanessa Waddon, works for a dog charity. She helps dogs. She says famous people put photographs on social media. The photos show puppies with short ears. Other people want dogs like these famous people.

But dogs with cut ears can have problems. Dogs talk to each other with their ears. It can mean health problems. The dogs can become nervous too.