4 Aug 2022
Three puppies found in a semi-comatose state needed surgery to repair damage from the illegal procedure.
Allister Webb
Job Title
Three men have been jailed after puppies were found in a semi-comatose state having had their ears cropped.
A court heard the animals, which were around 8 to 10 weeks old at the time, suffered considerable pain and had to undergo surgery after they were rescued from a house in Stoke-on-Trent.
Now, the man who inflicted their injuries – Alexander David Johnson, 32, of Elmsmere Road, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent – has begun a 24-week prison term after he admitted carrying out a prohibited procedure.
Johnson was sentenced at Cannock Magistrates’ Court yesterday (3 August) alongside co-defendants Ryan Woodward and Michael Nolan.
Woodward, 24 – of Union Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent – was jailed for 19 weeks after pleading guilty to a charge of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring johnson to carry out the procedure.
Meanwhile, Nolan, 31 – of Victoria Road, Carlisle – was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison, having pleaded guilty to either permitting the action to take place or failing to take steps to prevent it.
Johnson was banned from keeping dogs for life, while Woodward and Nolan were both disqualified for 15 years.
Johnson and Woodward were also ordered to pay £775 each in costs, while Nolan was told to pay £400. All three men were further ordered to rehome any dogs still in their care within 21 days.
The three injured puppies, plus three others, were seized by police from an address in the Hanley area of the city in November 2020, along with a host of other items.
In a written statement to the court, RSPCA inspector Jenny Bethel said a black cosmetic bag and a black rucksack were later handed over to her by police.
She said: “The bag contained syringes, needles, surgical scissors and blades, three empty 10mg bottles of Sedivet for horses, one empty bottle of ketamine, empty vaccination bottles, pliers and a staple gun with blood on it.”
Meanwhile, surgical masks, an opened box of latex gloves, syringes, needles, surgical tape and an empty rabies vaccination bottle were among the items found in the rucksack.
All six puppies were taken to a vet to be checked, vaccinated and microchipped, before the ones that had endured the cropping underwent surgery at the RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital in Salford.
An independent expert veterinary report, also presented to the court, said the cropping would have caused unnecessary suffering, despite the puppies being anaesthetised, with considerable pain following the procedure.
They were all signed over to the RSPCA and have since been rehomed.
Following the sentencing hearing, Ms Bethel said: “All six puppies have grown into beautiful dogs, are a credit to their fosterers and have gone on to find amazing forever homes.”
PC Rebecca Tyler, of Staffordshire Police, added: “This is something that my colleagues and I will remember for the rest of our careers. We are glad that the puppies were recovered and have found loving homes.”
