Cropped Dora wears a special knitted hood to keep the cold wind and rain out of her vulnerable ears during a winter’s walk on the beach.
Four-year-old Dora’s owner, Jess Eley, from Dorset, said the knitted hat, which has ears on top, also makes passersby less nervous around her – although they shouldn’t be frightened of her at any time.
Crossbreed Dora was rescued by the RSPCA in January 2021 when she was just a puppy – alongside her eight siblings – after they’d all had their ears cropped.
The RSPCA is urging MPs to back legislation which seeks to tackle the import of dogs, cats and ferrets into the UK – including dogs who have undergone ear cropping overseas. It is hoped that the Bill, which is next due to go to Committee Stage, would help prevent dogs abroad undergoing this painful procedure in order to be imported and sold on in the UK.
Dora was fostered by RSPCA Ashley Heath kennel assistant Jess – who has since left the charity and now works as a dog walker – before being adopted by Jess and her partner in Poole.
Jess said: “I bought Dora the hood to protect her ears from the cold wind and rain. She hates the rain going into her ears; the way they’ve been cut means they’re really exposed to the elements. She’s also got a special rain coat with a built in hood to protect her ears too.”
Jess said wearing the hoods have also helped to change the public’s perception of Dora.
She added: “Dora is such a friendly, sweet-natured dog but many people don’t see that because they can’t see past her ears.
“Another benefit of her rain coat and her knitted snood is that it’s helped soften her appearance and means other people aren’t so judgemental of her; in fact they’re drawn to her and like to say hello and ask me questions about why she’s wearing it.”
The lifelong impact of ear cropping
The experience of having her ears cropped left Dora vulnerable to the weather and fearful of new objects, particularly noisy ones.
Jess said: “Still to this day Dora is very easily – and visibly – worried by general day-to-day household items such as the vacuum cleaner, dustpan and brush, garden hose or the sound of pots and pans on the stove.
“We’ve also had to put a lot of work into teaching Dora that being groomed isn’t scary. She was very worried about having her ears cleaned or her nails trimmed, and was very touch-sensitive. It took a long time to gain her trust following her awful early life experiences.”
When Dora first arrived in RSPCA care, vets removed staples from her ear; they’d been used to close the wound after her ears had been cropped. While she settled into her new home brilliantly, Jess was concerned that her ears were still uncomfortable.
She said: “I’ve always had my suspicions that there was still a staple lodged in her ear. She had a hard lump that I could tell was very sensitive when touched. Whenever I cleaned her ears she’d wince when I touched that area.
“She was having knee surgery in early 2024 and while having post-op x-rays I asked the vets to check her ear; low and behold, there was a staple exactly where I thought and they removed it. The lump has disappeared and she’s now much happier and more comfortable.”
The RSPCA wants MPs to push through new legislation to help crackdown on the import of dogs, cats and ferrets into the country.
The proposals – put forward by Winchester MP and vet Danny Chambers (Lib Dem) as a Private Members’ Bill – seek to crackdown on the commercial imports of puppies and kittens, offering greater protection to pregnant pets and youngsters, and banning the import of animals who have undergone painful mutilation procedures – such as cropped ears or declawing of cats – which are illegal in the UK.
The RSPCA has seen a huge increase in the number of reports being made to its cruelty line about ear cropping – a painful procedure where dogs’ ears are surgically removed or altered for cosmetic purposes – fuelled by the popularity of this appearance on social media and within popular culture.
Ear cropping is illegal in the UK but is still legal in other countries and while illegal cropping is still taking place here, the RSPCA fears many dogs are also being imported from overseas after undergoing the procedure.
