DOG EAR CROPPER GETS PRISON FOR BARBARIC MUTILATION
A man has been sentenced to jail for his involvement in a criminal enterprise that illegally cropped dogs' ears, a practice which has been illegal in the UK since 2006.The individual, Alexander Johnson, 35, was sentenced to 12 months in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty offences.
The court heard he promoted himself as an 'icon' within the dog community and charged £450 for cropping dogs' ears.
The judge, Robert Smith, described the activity as "an organised and sophisticated criminal enterprise" and condemned it as "wholly sickening and inhuman," labeling it "barbaric mutilation." Johnson's previous conviction for animal ear cropping was mentioned, and he showed "complete and utter deliberate disregard" for the puppies involved.
He was convicted at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after an investigation prompted by a BBC Panorama undercover report that uncovered instances of ear cropping, a banned practice in the UK.
Johnson was handed his prison sentence after admitting to causing a prohibited procedure to be performed on a protected animal, breaching a lifetime disqualification order.
His role in this "vile trade" was described as part of a "barbaric" and "abhorrent" activity that he called an "icon" in the dog world.
The court highlighted his previous conviction and his violation of animal protection laws.
