Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

Dogs and cats with extreme features are growing in popularity. Some features, like exaggerated wrinkles and flat faces, are deliberately bred into animals. Others, like cropped ears, are done to the animal after birth.

That’s what happened to Milo. Milo was just 6 months old when he came to our London centre, and he’d already had his ears cropped.

Dogs with cropped ears are often brought to the UK from other countries. But Milo’s owner had got Milo from a friend, who’d said that the procedure was done at a vet in the UK. They were shocked to learn that wasn’t possible, as ear cropping is illegal here.

Our vets could see that Milo’s ears had been cropped recently. They also learnt that cotton sewing thread had been used to close the wounds, rather than surgical stitches. The thread was still in his ears, with scar tissue developing over the top, leaving them sore and unable to heal.

After lots of expert care and attention from our team, Milo became a happy, friendly boy. We found him a loving new home in Kent.

How ear cropping harms dogs

People often want dogs with cropped ears to fit a ‘powerful-looking’ aesthetic. They might be influenced by what they’ve seen on social media, TV and films. But the impact on dogs goes beyond how they look.

Ear cropping is often done without any pain relief or anaesthetic. And in most cases, it’s done with a standard knife or blade.

Ear cropping also stops dogs from living a normal life. For example, dogs with cropped ears can’t use their body language to communicate with people and other dogs. This can then lead to behavioural problems, like aggression and anxiety.

Despite being painful, traumatic and illegal in the UK, Milo is just one of many dogs out there who has – or will have – cropped ears.

How you can help

Thanks to our supporters, the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, or the Imports Bill for short, is about to become law.

This new law will help stop poorly bred animals and animals with cropped ears from being imported into the UK – removing the smokescreen that allows this illegal practice to carry on.

Help us by sharing this good news for dogs and cats.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRUxUlACC6J/

This is a huge step forward, but there’s still more we can do to tackle the demand for this cruel and painful procedure.

Ear cropping is often glamourised on social media, encouraging the practice and making it seem normal. But that’s far from the truth. It’s unnecessary, agonising and it needs to stop. Please be careful what you share online.

You won't believe your ears…

Until now, dogs with cropped ears could be imported to the UK. And this loophole allowed the cruel, illegal practice of ear cropping to continue here – the new law will help stop that.

And that’s not all. It will also stop people smuggling puppies, kittens and pregnant animals into the UK in poor health and unsafe conditions.

This is a huge step forward. Countless animals will now be protected from painful procedures and suffering because we spoke up, for them.

Thank you for being by our side, every step of the way.

Sign up to our campaigning newsletter, at the link below, to stay informed and help us speak up for even more dogs and cats.

https://www.battersea.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-welfare-campaigning/public-affairs-email-sign-form

What is the Imports Bill?

The Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, or the Imports Bill for short, is about to become law. Over 18,000 of our supporters asked their MP to back the bill. We reached every MP in the country, and made it clear this issue really matters.

The new law will help stop the import of dogs with cropped ears. It will also help tackle puppy and kitten smuggling, and the import of animals that are about to give birth.

Tiny Tim and his litter mates came into Battersea as strays after being found by a member of public, so there was very little information on their background.

Tiny Tim’s siblings were healthy, and all quickly rehomed, but during health checks with Battersea’s skilled veterinary team it was discovered that Tiny Tim had a congenital abnormality of the spine.

Tiny Tim was placed in an experienced foster home so that his condition could be observed. The spinal abnormality reduced the volume of his chest and lung capacity, which could result in breathing difficulties as he grew and he might also develop neurological issues, if the spinal cord became affected.

Despite his health challenges, Tiny Tim was otherwise an affectionate, confident kitten. Though small, he had a very loud meow and loved to chat to his human friends and adored climbing straight onto a lap for a cuddle.

He did wonderfully in his foster home and showed off his quirky personality, playing with anything he could get his little paws on. Battersea’s clinic team were confident that Tiny Tim could thrive in a new home.

Tiny Tim’s adorable charms soon won over his new family. The spirited young cat is now enjoying life in his new home with his new best friend, the family Labrador Shadow.