Jack Sargeant calls for cruel dog cropping to be stamped out
Alyn and Deeside’s Member of the Senedd Jack Sargeant has joined cross-party calls to end the ear cropping and tail docking of dogs in the UK.
Jack has signed a statement of opinion submitted by Natasha Asghar MS to the Senedd calling for Welsh Government to ‘redouble its efforts to stamp out the illegal and cruel mutilation of dogs in Wales.’
The RSPCA has reported a 621% rise in reports of dog cropping over the last five years, despite the brutal practice being illegal in the UK since 2006 unless carried out for medical reasons.
There are concerns that the practice is being normalised by a growing number of celebrities and influencers sharing images of their cropped dogs on social media. Ear cropping is carried out for aesthetic reasons to make a dog appear more intimidating but can severely impact a dog’s ability to hear and communicate.
Networks of breeders are offering to mutilate puppies to follow a social media trend, a BBC investigation has found.
During the investigation, one breeder offered to sell a BBC Wales undercover journalist a puppy for £13,000, and spoke of clipping the dogs’ ears, a practice which is banned in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act.
Paula Boyden, from Dogs Trust, said there was “no justification at all” for the practice, and it could leave the dogs with health and behavioural issues.”
“Some animals then go on to develop infections or don’t like people touching their ears,“ she said.
“We’ve also seen behaviour issues because dogs communicate with their ears, and without them they may have difficulty in doing that with their owners or other dogs.”
Jack Sargeant MS said: “As a dog lover myself I am appalled that these barbaric and illegal practices are on the rise.”
“I am always willing to work cross-party in the Senedd to bring about changes for the better and ending animal cruelty is just one example of that. I’d like to thank Natasha for bringing this important issue forward.”
“It is appalling that dogs are being put through painful and totally unnecessary procedures to achieve a certain look and I strongly believe all those involved should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
