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Ear cropping is a ‘painful and unnecessary’ procedure illegally inflicted on dogs.

South Yorkshire is an ‘ear cropping’ hotspot in England, with 53 dogs being reported to have had their ears cropped in a cruel and unnecessary procedure in the last three years, new figures from the RSPCA shows.

The animal welfare charity has released the figures as part of its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign - to raise awareness about how to stop cruelty to animals for good - and to highlight the barbaric procedure which, in many cases, is carried out illegally in the UK solely for the aim of making the dog look “tough”.

But it does not benefit the dog in any way, and can be detrimental to their health. The figures from the RSPCA shows that, nationally, 1,191 reports of ear cropping have been made to the RSPCA since 2020.

Shocking images released by the RSPCA show the trauma inflicted on dogs during illegal ear cropping.

South Yorkshire is number five in the top five ear cropping hotspots in England.

Ian Muttitt, chief inspector in the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit - which investigates ear cropping - said the team have seen “horrific” DIY ear cropping kits at homes of people who carry out the cruel practice.

He said: "The idea of a person cutting off a dog’s ears with a pair of scissors and no pain relief or anaesthetic is stomach-churning - but that is exactly what they do. And it is even more sickening to know that they are only doing this because they think it will make the dog look ‘tough’ or they can sell the dog for more money.

South Yorkshire has sadly found to be a 'hotspot' in England for ear cropping procedures, according to figures by the RSPCA.

"We have seen dogs who have suffered because of the after effects of this cruel procedure. They are at a high risk of infection and discomfort - what’s trendy or fashionable about that? Absolutely nothing.

"We are highlighting this horrific practice as part of our Cancel Out Cruelty campaign to help fund investigations into these awful cases whilst also campaigning to end ear-cropping for good."

The UK Government had pledged to ban the import of dogs with cropped ears as part of its Kept Animals Bill - but sadly, the UK Government scrapped the bill in May, prompting the RSPCA to urge Ministers to find a viable alternative plan to ban it as soon as possible.

To find out more about the campaign, visit the Mutilated For Money campaign page here: https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/earcropping

Rescue dogs Sheffield: South Yorkshire found to be an ‘ear cropping hotspot’ in England, reveals RSPCA