Owner arrested for cruelty after cropping puppy’s ears in Cape Town

 

Owner arrested for cruelty after cropping puppy’s ears in Cape Town. The owner of a four-month-old American Bully puppy was arrested for animal cruelty after arranging for the dog’s ears to be cropped at his home in Edgemead, Cape Town.

 

 

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA began investigating after receiving reports that the puppy initially had intact ears but that they had been cropped just days later.

 

 

 

 

 

According to the SPCA, the owner confessed to hiring someone for R3,500 to carry out the procedure in his entertainment room, which lasted about an hour.

The owner was taken into custody at Bothasig police station, while the puppy was sent for a veterinary examination.

 

 

 

 

“No one is above the law, and those who believe ear cropping is permissible will face arrest and charges of animal cruelty. Both ear cropping and tail docking are illegal and considered criminal offenses,” stated SPCA chief inspector Jaco Pieterse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under the Animals Protection Act, it is a crime to maim any animal, defined as causing permanent and unnecessary harm through disfigurement or removal of body parts. The South African Veterinary Council also prohibits veterinarians from performing ear cropping for cosmetic reasons, labeling such practices as unethical, according to the SPCA.