BVA urges action ahead of parliamentary debate on ear cropping

The BVA has called for action after a survey showed more than half of small animal vets have been presented with dogs with cropped ears in the past year.

A petition – spearheaded by the BVA and the FOAL Group (Focus on Animal Law) – calling for action on the import of dogs with cropped ears, accrued more than 100,000 signatures and will be debated in Parliament today (4:30pm, 7 June). Other animal welfare issues will also be debated, including importing puppies.

Survey results

New statistics from the BVA Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey show that 58% of small animal vets have been presented with dogs with cropped ears in the past year.

In total, 61% of these vets believe they are seeing more cropped dogs than in previous years.

Cropped ears

The Dobermann was the breed most commonly presented to vets with cropped ears, with American bulldogs and cane corsos the second and third most likely breeds to be seen.

It is illegal to crop dogs’ ears in the UK, but a loophole in the law currently permits the importation of dogs that have undergone the procedure in countries where it remains legal, and it is not a specific offence to send dogs abroad to have their ears cropped.

Deeply concerned

BVA president James Russell said: “We are deeply concerned that vets have been seeing more dogs with cropped ears in their practices. Ear cropping is illegal in the UK so we have to question how it’s possible that 6 in 10 vets have seen cropped dogs in the past year.

“These shocking figures clearly show that urgent action is needed to curb this disturbing rise.”

Intensely painful

He added: “We were delighted by the commitment made by Government last month to prohibit imports of dogs with cropped ears as well as rooting out illegal practice of this completely unnecessary and intensely painful mutilation in the UK.

“We are now urging them to bring these measures into play at the earliest possible opportunity.”