Cropping (animal) explained

Cropping is the removal of part or all of the external flaps of an animal's ear. The procedure sometimes involves bracing and taping the remainder of the ears to train them to point upright. Almost exclusively performed on dogs, it is an old practice that was once done for perceived health, practical or cosmetic reasons. Veterinary science states there is no medical or physical advantage to the animal from the procedure,[1] [2] leading to concerns of animal cruelty over performing unnecessary surgery on animals. In modern times, cropping is banned in many nations, but is still legal in a limited number of countries. Where permitted, it is seen only in certain breeds of dog, such as pit bull and bull terrier type breeds, the Doberman Pinscher, Schnauzer, Great Dane, Boxer and Cane Corso.

History and purposes

Historically, cropping was performed on working dogs as it was believed it would decrease the risk of health complications, such as ear infections or hematomas. Crops were also performed on dogs that might need to fight, either while hunting animals that might fight back or while defending livestock herds from predators, or because they were used for pit-fighting sports such as dog fighting or bear-baiting.[3] [4]

Early history

Roman practices were to crop dogs’ ears to avoid damage and injury in fighting and hunting, with tail docking practiced to avoid the transmission of rabies.[5]

Guardian breeds

Cropping the ears of livestock guardian dogs was, and may still be, traditional in some pastoral cultures. The ears of these guardian dogs—such as the Caucasian Shepherd Dog[6] and the Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog—were traditionally cropped to reduce the possibility of wolves or opponent-dogs getting a grip on them.[7]

According to one description, cropping was carried out when puppies were weaned, at about six weeks. It was performed by an older or expert shepherd, using the ordinary blade shears used for shearing, well sharpened. The ears were cut either to a point like those of a fox, or rounded like those of a bear. The removed auricles were first grilled,[8] then given to the puppy to eat, in the belief that it would make him more "sour".[7] An alternative method was to remove the ears from newborn puppies by twisting them off; however, this left almost no external ear on the dog.[7] Both ear-cropping and the use of spiked collars were described more than three hundred years ago, as a defense against wolves.[9]

Fighting

Similar to guardian breeds, in sport fighting, cropping is used to minimize the risk of ears being bitten and held. The ears were an easy target for an opposing animal to grab or tear. Dogs may have their ears cropped, legally or not, for participation in dogfights, themselves illegal in many jurisdictions.[10] [11]

Modern practices

In 2000, veterinarian Bruce Fogle wrote:[12]

The procedure

The veterinary procedure is known as "cosmetic otoplasty",[1] and involves the removal of a portion of the pinnae, the external flap of the ear. Cropping is usually performed on puppies at 7 to 12 weeks of age.[13] After 16 weeks, the procedure is more painful and the animal has greater pain memory.[3] Usually up to of the ear flap is removed in a cropping operation, and the wound edges are closed with stitches. The ears are then bandaged. Long crops are taped until they heal into the proper shape.[13] The procedure is recommended to be undertaken under general anaesthesia; opponents' primary concerns revolve around post-operative pain.[14]

American veterinary schools do not generally teach cropping (or docking), and thus veterinarians who perform the practice have to learn on the job. There are also problems with amateurs performing ear-cropping, particularly at puppy mills.[15]

In the last 100 years or so, ear cropping has been performed more often for cosmetic purposes.[4] In nations and states where it remains legal, it is usually practiced because it is required as part of a breed standard for exhibition at dog shows.[16] In the US, although tail-docking, dewclaw removal, and neutering procedures remain common, ear-cropping is declining, except within the dog show industry.[16] Some show ring competitors state they would discontinue the practice altogether if they could still "win in the ring."[17]

Examples of cropping styles

Animal welfare and law

The practice is illegal across most of Europe, including all countries that have ratified the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, and most member countries of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.[18] It is illegal in regions of Spain and in some Canadian provinces.[16]

Ear-cropping is still widely practiced in the United States and parts of Canada, with approximately 130,000 puppies in the United States thought to have their ears cropped each year.[19] The American Kennel Club (AKC) and Canadian Kennel Club both permit the practice. The AKC position is that ear cropping and tail docking are "acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health."[20] While some individual states have attempted to ban ear-cropping,[21] there is strong opposition from some dog breed organizations, who cite health concerns and tradition.[22]

The American Veterinary Medical Association "opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes" and "encourages the elimination of ear cropping and tail docking from breed standards".[23]

In 2009, veterinary chain Banfield Pet Hospital announced they would no longer do tail docking, ear cropping or devocalization on dogs.[17]

It has been suggested the cropping may interfere with a dog's ability to communicate using ear signals, however there has been no scientific comparative study of ear communication in cropped and uncropped dogs.[24]

Legal status by country

CountryStatusBan/restriction date (if applicable)
AustraliaBanned [25] [26]
AustriaBanned[27] 1 January 2005
BelgiumBanned1 January 2006
Bosnia and HerzegovinaBanned[28]
BrazilBanned for cosmetic purposes
BulgariaBanned1 February 2005
CanadaCanada has no federal law banning pet cosmetic surgery. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association opposes all cosmetic alterations.[29] Two provinces have provincial legislation prohibiting ear cropping, tail docking, and most cosmetic surgeries: Prince Edward Island (☨1)[30] and Newfoundland and Labrador (☨2).

Three provinces' veterinary associations ban all veterinarians from performing cosmetic surgeries on pets: New Brunswick (☨3), Nova Scotia (☨4),[31] and Quebec[32] (☨5)

Three provincial veterinary associations have bans on ear cropping alone: Manitoba (☨6),[33] British Columbia (☨7),[34] and Saskatchewan (☨8).[35]

☨1: 10 July 2015
☨2: 1978
☨3: 15 October 2008
☨4: 1 April 2010
☨5: 1 January 2017
☨6: 3 February 2012
☨7: 2015
☨8: 2013
CroatiaBanned2007[36]
CyprusBanned1993
Czech RepublicBanned1 April 1999
DenmarkBanned1 June 1996
EnglandBanned[37] [38] 1899
EstoniaBanned2001
FinlandBanned[39] 15 February 1971
FranceBanned[40] 1 January 2010
GermanyBanned1 May 1992
GreeceBanned27 February 1992
HungaryBanned
IcelandBanned2001
IndiaPreviously restricted, currently unrestricted [41]
IrelandBanned[42]
IsraelBanned[43] 2000
ItalyBanned1 November 2011
LatviaBanned
LithuaniaBanned
LuxembourgBanned1 May 1992
NetherlandsBanned1 September 2001
New ZealandBanned2004
Northern IrelandBanned2011
NorwayBanned1954
PolandBanned1997
PortugalBanned1 January 1994
RomaniaBanned2008
RussiaRestricted
ScotlandBanned1899
SerbiaBanned[44] 2019
SlovakiaBanned1 January 2003
SloveniaBanned[45] April 2007
South AfricaBannedJune 2008
SpainBanned in autonomies of Catalonia and Andalucia
SwedenBanned[46] 1989
SwitzerlandBanned1997
TurkeyBanned[47] 2004
United StatesUnrestricted2003
Virgin IslandsBanned2005
WalesBanned1899

Non-canine animals

Cropping of large portions of the pinnae of other animals is rare, although the clipping of identifying shapes in the pinnae of livestock, called earmarks, was common prior to the introduction of compulsory ear tags.[48] Removal of portions of the ear of laboratory mice or neutered feral cats for identification, i.e. ear-notching or ear-tipping, is still used.[49] The practice of cropping for cosmetic purposes is rare in non-canines, although some selectively bred animals have naturally small ears which can be mistaken for cropping.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Slatter, Douglas H. (2002) Textbook of small animal surgery 3rd edition. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders (imprint of Elsevier Health Sciences), 2896 pages,, p.1746
  2. Web site: Pet MD. Ear Cropping: Is it right for your dog?.
  3. Web site: Ear cropping: Correct or cruel? . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201030042313/http://www.briarleabouvier.com/ear_cropping.htm . 30 October 2020 . 19 September 2021 . Briar Lea Bouvier . Briar Lea Bouvier Kennel . Glenwood City, WI . blog. possible duplicate page

    Web site: Martin . . Ear cropping: Correct or cruel? . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20200930182033/https://www.earsbydrbill.com/ear-cropping-correct-or-cruel . 2020-09-30 . 2021-09-19 . Ears by Dr. Bill . Brevard Animal Hospital (W.M. Martin, DVM) . Flat Rock, NC . Today, ear-cropping is a cosmetic surgery, pure and simple.. possibly an equivalent page, and better-documented topic-authority

    Web site: Pagán . Camille Noe . 3 February 2014 . Flowers . Amy . Ear cropping and tail docking . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140215062730/http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking . 2014-02-15 . 2021-09-19 . Web MD (pets).

  4. Book: Murgai, R.P., Major . Handbook on Dogs . New Age International . 1996 . 9788122408935 . New Delhi, IN . 46.
  5. Mills . Katelyn E. . Robbins . Jesse . von Keyserlingk . Marina A. G. . 2016-06-27 . Tail Docking and Ear Cropping Dogs: Public Awareness and Perceptions . PLOS ONE . 11 . 6 . e0158131 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0158131 . free . 1932-6203 . 4922641 . 27348817. 2016PLoSO..1158131M .
  6. Web site: Samsonova . Anna . Caucasian Shepherd Dog (Kavkazskaïa Ovtcharka) . https://web.archive.org/web/20120426221530/http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/328g02-en.doc . 2012-04-26 . Fédération Cynologique Internationale . FCI-Standard nr.328 . 2 February 2011 . 15 September 2011.
  7. Book: Breber, Paolo . 1983 . Il Cane da Pastore Maremmano-Abruzzese . it . The Maremmano-Abruzzese Shepherd Dogs . 2nd . 98–99 . Firenze . Olimpia . The Maremmano-Abruzzese shepherd dog.
  8. Book: MacDonell, Anne . Atkinson, Amy (illustrator) . 1907 . In the Abruzzi . New York, NY . F.A. Stokes . 18.
  9. Book: {{nobr|de la Fontaine}}, Jean . Jean de la Fontaine . Wright . Elizur . Fable 9 . The Fables of la Fontaine . translated in verse from the French . Book X p 74 . English . en-UK . 1678 . 1862 . London, UK . Miller .
  10. Book: Curtis, Patricia . 2002 . City Dog: Choosing and living well with a dog in town . 37 . New York, NY . Lantern Books . 978-1-59056-000-6 .
  11. Book: Robert . Thayer Sataloff . Sataloff . Joseph . 2006 . Occupational Hearing Loss . 3rd . 590 . Boca Raton, FL . CRC Press . 9781420015478 .
  12. Book: Fogle, Bruce . Bruce Fogle . KISS Guide to Living with a Dog . 2000 . . 0789459760 . 66.
  13. http://www.doggiesparadise.com/earcropping-dogs.shtml Practice of Dogs Ear cropping
  14. Web site: Literature Review on the Welfare Implications of Ear Cropping-Dogs . March 13, 2013 . American Veterinary Medical Association .
  15. Web site: Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs . Animal Legal & Historical Center . Michigan State University College of Law . Amy L.. Broughton. 2003.
  16. http://cfhs.ca/athome/ear_cropping_and_tail_docking Ear cropping and tail docking
  17. Web site: Banfield pet hospitals ban tail docking, ear cropping on dogs . Weise . Elizabeth . . 30 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121026065343/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-07-30-dog-tails_N.htm . October 26, 2012 . live.
  18. Book: Fogle, Bruce. Bruce Fogle. 66. 0789459760. KISS Guide to Living with a Dog. 2000. Dorling-Kindersley.
  19. Web site: Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs . Animallaw.info . 2013-04-17.
  20. http://www.akc.org/canine_legislation/position_statements.cfm#earcropping Ear Cropping, Tail Docking and Dewclaw Removal
  21. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20060618183601/http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2908 . 18 June 2006 . dead . New Call to Action for Amended NY State Crop/Dock Bill . . 9 June 2006 . 31 December 2007.
  22. Web site: Abraham, S.. 1993. Sad lesson learned. American Kennel Club Gazette, American Boxer Club. January 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20120406194857/http://www.americanboxerclub.org/Gazette/gaz93-01.pdf. April 6, 2012. dead.
  23. Web site: Ear cropping and tail docking of dogs. American Veterinary Medical Association. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200520001141/https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs. May 20, 2020.
  24. Coren, Stanley (2001) How to speak dog: mastering the art of dog-human communication New York: Simon & Schuster chap. 9 [pages unnumbered]
  25. Web site: Ear cropping and tail docking. Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. 2011-09-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20110909124714/http://cfhs.ca/athome/ear_cropping_and_tail_docking/. 2011-09-09. dead.
  26. Wynn . Susan . 2014-06-11 . World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings, 2001 . VIN.com.
  27. Web site: Υπουργείο Αγροτικής Ανάπτυξης και Τροφίμων Δικτυακός Τόπος Διαβουλεύσεων. Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Athens, Greece. el. Website consultation. April 2011.
  28. Web site: Zakon o zaštiti i dobrobiti životinja. Article 12. bs. 26 March 2021.
  29. Web site: CVMA Documents Cosmetic Alteration – Position Statement. www.canadianveterinarians.net. 20 March 2016. 19 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200819092623/https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/documents/cosmetic-alteration. dead.
  30. Web site: Animal Welfare Act outlaws animal ear cropping and tail docking. November 4, 2015. Mitch. Cormier . CBC News.
  31. CBC News (March 25, 2010)N.S veterinarians ban tail docking Accessed February 10, 2012.
  32. News: Quebec's order of veterinarians bans pet cosmetic surgery . CBC News . 6 February 2016 . 20 March 2016.
  33. Web site: Ear cropping of dogs banned in Manitoba. February 10, 2012. CBC News.
  34. News: Cosmetic ear cropping banned by B.C. veterinarians. 20 March 2016. CBC New - British Columbia. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). 28 October 2015.
  35. Web site: Bylaws Of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association . September 17, 2015 . 2016-03-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006104420/http://svma.sk.ca/uploads/pdf/BYLAWS%202015%20FINAL%20COPY%20FOR%20WEBSITE.pdf . 2016-10-06 . dead.
  36. Web site: Rep sa sretnim završetkom . Jutarnji list. 11 January 2008 . hr. 26 March 2021.
  37. Johnston, Beatrice L. (1970) For those who cannot speak: a history of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 1869-1969 City of Laval, P.Q.: Dev-Sco Publications p.13
  38. Web site: 8 November 2006 . Animal Welfare Act 2006 . legislation.gov.uk.
  39. Web site: Oy . Edita Publishing . FINLEX - Säädökset alkuperäisinä: Eläinsuojelulaki 91/1971 (Finnish Animal Protection Law) . finlex.fi . fi.
  40. Web site: Sous-section 2 : Dispositions relatives aux animaux de compagnie (Articles R214-19-1 à R214-34) - Légifrance. www.legifrance.gouv.fr. fr.
  41. Web site: Ajay Sura . Apr 14, 2013 . Now, you can dock dogs' tail . https://web.archive.org/web/20130515093634/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-14/chandigarh/38529054_1_tail-ears-kennel-club . 2013-05-15 . dead . The Times of India.
  42. Web site: Minister McConalogue announces new legislation to protect dogs from ear cropping . www.gov.ie . en . 25 August 2023.
  43. Web site: A review of the scientific aspects and veterinary opinions relating to tail docking in dogs. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070626075746/http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/domestic/awbillconsulttaildocking.pdf. June 26, 2007. 2005. defra.gov.uk.
  44. Web site: Zakon o Dobrobiti Životinja . 1 January 2019.
  45. Web site: Zakon o zaščiti živali (Uradno prečiščeno besedilo) (ZZZiv-UPB1) . 2009-09-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100209090436/http://zakonodaja.gov.si/rpsi/r08/predpis_ZAKO4018.html . 2010-02-09 . Slovene Animal Protection Act (in Slovene)
  46. Web site: Djurskyddsbestämmelser - Hund. 2021-01-25.
  47. Web site: 5199 Animal Protection Law - Article 8. Laws, Regulations in Turkey. 12 November 2017.
  48. http://www.manade-en-camargue.fr/manade-en-camargue-lexique.html Lexique Camarguais
  49. Web site: Eartipping . Neighborhood Cats . 24 March 2022.