A dog whose ears were brutally cropped when she was just a puppy still bears the mental scars of the illegal procedure almost two years later.
Two-year-old bully Lyla was rescued by Staffordshire Police and the RSPCA from a property in Staffordshire in November 2020 after police officers discovered a litter of six puppies, three of which were in a semi-comatose state having had their ears cruelly cropped*.
The puppies, who were seized by police, were found alongside latex gloves, bloodied kitchen roll, syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, a staple gun and medication at the property.
Ear cropping – which is illegal in all nations of the UK – is a barbaric procedure in which the outer part of a dogs’ ears are cut or clipped, often using a knife or scissors, or removed completely.
RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen said: “Ear cropping has absolutely no positive effect on the dog themself and is done purely for cosmetic reasons because someone wants a specific ‘tough’ look for their dog. Sadly, it’s a trend that, despite being illegal, seems to be growing in popularity.”
Lyla – who was rescued and taken into RSPCA care alongside her cropped siblings Diesel and Moose, as well as her uncropped littermates Jed, Peanut and Vera** – was adopted by Kelly and Jake Mattison, from Stockport, Greater Manchester.
Kelly said: “Lyla is an absolute angel and we are lucky to have her. She’s the sweetest girl and is so gentle, especially with children and other dogs. She absolutely loves her canine sister, Clover, and her doggy best friend and brother, Paulie.”
But poor Lyla still bears the physical and emotional scars of the cropping process she endured.
Dog behaviourist and RSPCA dog welfare expert Esme Wheeler said: “Sadly many dogs who have had their ears brutally cropped can face lifelong implications. They can be nervous around people, head shy, and some struggle to socialise with other dogs, because dogs use their ears to communicate with each other.”
While Lyla loves to spend time with other dogs and is a big softie around people, she finds it difficult to trust people and hates people touching her ears.
Kelly added: “Lyla is still an anxious dog and it’s taken her a long, long time to trust us fully. She hates having her ears cleaned or her nails cut, and she gets incredibly nervous going to the vets which is understandable after what she’s been through.
“The worst thing, however, is the rain. She hates going out in the rain and finds it so uncomfortable as she can’t stop the water going in her ears.”
Kelly said that people also judge her when she’s out with Lyla. “Sadly, we get a lot of judgement when we’re out walking Lyla, due to her ears. My husband, Jake, has been called names by passersby who obviously believe that we cropped her ears.”
While many are horrified by the barbaric procedure, cropping is a problem that appears to be on the rise in England and Wales. In the first six months of 2022, the charity recorded 224 incidents relating to cropped dogs – a 1,500% increase compared to just 14 reports back in 2015 – with six more months data still to record.
The charity is calling on the UK and Welsh Governments to act urgently to close a loophole that means it’s legal to import dogs with cropped ears from overseas – meaning many are sending their dogs abroad for cropping or are buying dogs who have already been through the painful process abroad.
The charity hopes the new Prime Minister, set to be appointed in September, will prioritise the stalled Kept Animals Bill, which had proposed to act on this loophole – with a vote also due in Wales that would allow the law to apply there too.
