A study published in the Vet Record has found that rates of ear cropping in dogs seen in vet practices in the UK rose sharply from 2020 to 2021, from a reported two cases per 100,000 consultations, to over 10.

For the study¹, the authors Lucy Norris, Gina Pinchbeck, Peter-John Noble and Alan Radford, analysed data from electronic health records submitted by veterinary practices participating in the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET).

They found that a total of 132 dogs with cropped ears were seen by vets across a sample size of 500 practices between 2015 and 2022, with numbers peaking in 2021.

The breeds most likely to have cropped ears were the American bulldog, Dobermann, Italian mastiff and bulldog.

In more than 60% of the cases, the dogs had been imported from countries where ear cropping is illegal, such as Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Spain, Poland and Ireland.

The authors acknowledge that the findings of their research are likely just a small snapshot of the true scale of the ear cropping problem: figures from the 2022 PDSA PAW Report suggest that the true numbers of dogs imported with cropped ears could be as high as 26,000.

RSPCA Head of Companion Animals Samantha Gaines said: "The study provides strong evidence to refute arguments for ear cropping to prevent ear infections, as the breed types identified in Norris and colleagues’ study are not generally predisposed to such infections. 

"Rather, this finding adds weight to anecdotal evidence suggesting that the motivation for ear cropping in many dogs is driven by appearance rather than any perceived health benefits. 

“It is also possible that some dogs were cropped illegally in the UK using legal importation as a smokescreen for this activity.

"Indeed, it is the RSPCA's experience that many dogs stated as being cropped outside of the UK have histories that would make this highly unlikely.”

Vet Record editor-in-chief Suzanne Jarvis said: “One solution to the importation problem is proposed in the Kept Animals Bill, which is currently stalled in parliament.

"Although there could be potential for fraud around grandfather rights initially, a ban on such importations would ultimately mean that the sight of a dog with cropped ears becomes a thing of the past in the UK.”

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/ear-cropping-campaign 

Reference

1. Norris, LJ, Pinchbeck, GL, Noble, P-JM, Radford, AD. Dogs with cropped ears in the UK: A population-based study using electronic health records. Vet Rec. 2023;e2483. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2483 

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