Ear Cropping Gone Wrong: An 8-Weeks-Old Puppy’s Battle For Survival
Harry was only eight weeks old when his owners brought him to the emergency hospital, saying that the pup was suffering from an ear infection. But what the doctors found upon inspection was heartbreaking. The dog’s ears were not only severely infected but were half torn, swollen, and hanging while oozing pus.
It soon became apparent that this was a case of dog ear cropping, and Harry’s owners had cruelly tried to cut off his ears. They had tightly wrapped a rubber band around the little Frenchie’s ears, which stopped the blood flow to his ears, resulting in serious damage.
Fought To Stay Alive Amid Abandonment
Harry’s ear infections were so severe that he would have become septic without proper medical treatment. Unsurprisingly, hisowners decided to abandon him at the hospital instead of paying the bills and saving his life. Luckily, New York-based rescue, AMA Animal Rescue stepped in and helped the puppy in getting proper medical care. (watch the video below)
Source: @amaanimalrescue
The innocent pup went through immediate surgery in which the doctors had to remove his one infected ear. However, the stitches came apart just a few days later because of the severity of the injury.
So, the rescue staff had to take the young dog to the vet’s office to clean the wound and change the bandages every day in order to allow it to heal. Fortunately, Harry’s other ear didn’t require such a serious operation as it showed signs of healing.
Rescue Needs Your Help
Harry’s story has shed light on the various inhumane practices many dogs go through just to please humans’ sensibilities. An Instagram user, Rosanna Maria, left a comment under the rescue’s post about Harry, saying, “I can’t get over what I just read sick to my stomach people don’t deserves dogs at all that’s the sickest thing I ever read about humans.”
Harry is slowly improving, but his medical bills were pretty high, and now, at four months of age, the Frenchie puppy still needs care and support. “The problem with dogs in shelters [or rescues] in this situation is the medical cost that goes into fixing a dog like this is tremendous,” said Rocky Kanaka, pet rescue advocate
Thus, the rescue needs every donation it can get to help Harry live a happy life. Go to AMA Animal Rescue’s donation page and provide aid to not only Harry but other dogs like him.
What is Dog Ear Cropping?
To crop a dog’s ears is to perform surgery on a dog to cut off or alter their ears. This surgery is completely unnecessary and done solely to improve a dog’s appearance, for instance, to make them look more intimidating.
Generally, the surgery is done to remove the flappy part of the dog’s ears, according to Tier 1 Veterinary Medical Center. This surgery, at present, is usually performed on about 20 breeds. You are highly likely to find a Cane Corso with ear crop, and many owners also choose to crop the ears of Great Danes.
Is It Legal To Crop A Dog’s Ears?
Now, you might be questioning the legal implications of ear cropping of dogs. It is true that many countries have put a ban on ear cropping. These countries include Germany, which happens to be the origin of many dog breeds whose ears are generally cropped.
However, it remains legal in the United States (U.S.), even though there have been several petitions to ban cropped ears. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is against this practice of dog ear cropping and also that of tail docking when their purpose is only for aesthetic appeal. They believe that it poses unnecessary health risks to dogs.
However, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Canadian Kennel Club both are in favor of the practice and have no issue with registering dogs with cropped ears or letting them participate in a dog show.
This is why, it is not uncommon in the U.S. to see a Doberman Pinscher, or a Pitbull, or a Boxer, or a Rottweiler, with cropped ears.
Why Is It Controversial?
Historically, the reasons for a dog’s ear cropping were predominantly to allow the animals to hear better while hunting, guarding, or herding livestock. However, this theory has been disproved. Some thought that they help in preventing ear infections, which is also now proven false.
Hence, when there are no health benefits to the dog, many believe that this practice of ear cropping is essentially a cosmetic procedure to enhance a dog’s aesthetic. But if not done properly, it can cause severe physical damage along with mental trauma for the dog. Not to mention, Harry’s case is a good example of that.
What If You Still Want To Crop Your Dog’s Ears?
If you still choose to crop your dog’s ears (even though it is completely unnecessary), you can do it ethically. So, before you Google “dog ear cropping near me,” there are some things you must know.
You can contact a licensed veterinarian who performs this cosmetic procedure. This surgery is best performed on a dog between 8 and 12 weeks of age. Puppies, until this age, can handle anesthesia better. Moreover, in older dogs, their cartilages have started hardening and taking permanent form.
In addition, most cropped ears require training or shaping to achieve the desired upright position. This process involves specialized bandaging and bracing, often necessitating weekly or more frequent vet visits. Incisions typically heal within a few weeks, after which sutures can be removed. The ear-training period can increase the risk of ear infections.
