Love Island star Jack Fincham has been criticised on social media after sharing a picture with his dog, in which he clearly had cropped ears.
The TV star, 29, posted a snap of his Cane Corso pooch, Elvis, on Instagram at the weekend, captioned: "Me and my best pal rolling on the train solo. Always by my side dunno what I'd do without you."
But many followers were dismayed to see the animal's cropped ears - something which is illegal in England and Wales, under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act (2006).
"Will be unfollowing," wrote one fan. "Dog ears are cropped....it's illegal in the uk. Dogs are getting imported like this. Sad as (sic)".
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Meanwhile, another wrote: "Who ever (sic) cropped this digs ears should be reported for cruelty. It is not ok to chop dogs ears".
"Another so called dog lover with a dog with clipped ears disgusting," a third follower penned, echoing the sentiments of many more in the comments.
A fellow animal advocate added: "These people just don't get it! ok your dog is loved and very well looked after which is great, but he was an import...
"Didn't want to 'rescue' a dog from the UK? Oh wait we don't crop ears here so you had to import."
According to the RSPCA, ear cropping is "a painful and completely unnecessary process where a dog's ear is cut or removed", which "can cause life-long health and behaviour problems".
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A spokesperson for the charity told Tyla: "Sadly, ear cropping is still legal in some parts of the world and we're seeing dogs being imported from abroad having undergone this barbaric practice.
"We're supporting a campaign calling for a ban on the importation of cropped dogs, particularly as we've seen the number of reports about cropped dogs surge by more than 600 per cent over the last six years.
"There's a growing trend for cropped dogs among some celebrities and sadly we're seeing more and more dogs with cropped ears on social media and advertising too."
Discussing the backlash aimed at celebrities like Jack, the charity added: "Celebrities have a responsibility to set a good example to their fans. We fear the cropped look is being normalised and even glamorised, particularly among certain breeds.
"We feel people in the public eye such as TV stars, footballers and pop stars should not be endorsing a procedure that causes pain and suffering to dogs, whether it's being carried out illegally in the UK or legally overseas.
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"We'd urge celebrities to stop popularising this look and, instead, ask them to promote responsible dog ownership and champion good animal welfare."
Ear cropping started because people wanted to make their dogs look "tougher, and more intimidating".
Dogs need their ears for a manner of reasons, including for body language and communicating how they're feeling.
"Where a dog's ears are placed, also known as their ear carriage, can help us understand if a dog is worried or happy and relaxed. If a dog's ears have been removed, it can be more difficult to know how they're feeling," the RSPCA explains on its website.
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We don't yet know whether cropping reduces hearing - but it's also possible.
Jack told fans back in July that he purchased Elvis from Russia, as an import from Protection Dogs WorldWide.
Tyla has contacted Jack's reps for comment.
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Jack isn't the only Love Island star to come under criticism from dog lovers, after Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury were called out for importing their pooch Mr Chai from Russia.
The four and a half months old puppy passed away after suffering from a seizure not long after arriving in the UK - although the fact it is imported is not said to have caused the pup's death.
Discussing the harrowing experience, Molly has since expressed regret at having the dog imported from abroad - and is now hoping others can learn from her mistakes in order to protect animal welfare worldwide.
"While we understand everyone's opinions about him being shipped over from Russia, you need to understand that this is not what made that baby dog pass away. That's not what made him die," the reality star said in a YouTube video discussing the incident.
"He was going to die regardless. If we had the time again we would have got a dog from the UK or got a rescue dog from the UK.
"We are not asking for any sympathy. We don't deserve any sympathy. What's happened is awful and I'm just asking for you to understand that a dog travelling from Russia is not the reason why he died."
Molly is now taking legal action against the breeder who sold her the dog.
Featured Image Credit: InstagramTopics: Jack Fincham, Dog, Celebrity News, Animal Welfare, Love Island