A cruel and illegal trend that butchers puppies' ears for cosmetic reasons has been highlighted after a dog breeder has admitted his cruelty to animals.
The breeder, Simon Davis, 34, subjected pups to the process called docking, which uses razor blades to make them look fiercer, before selling them for thousands of pounds.
Now Davis - who could sell the dogs for between £3,500 - £7,000 to high-profile customers including Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock - has avoided jail.
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He has however received a suspended sentence, community service and been slammed with a fine.
When the RSPCA and police raided his "lucrative" business called Lions Lair Kennels in Bedworth, Warwickshire on January 30th last year, they found seven kennels in a converted garage building containing eight American Bulldogs.
Seven of the pups he had bred and sold had cropped ears, something which is illegal in the UK under the Animal Welfare Act, unless it is carried out for medical reasons.
Coventry Magistrates' Court heard how one of the puppies is now in the possession of Little Mix singer and her footballer partner Andre Gray.
Prosecutor Sara Pratt, for the RSPCA, said: "Kyro is an American Bully owned by Leigh-Ann Pinnock of the successful girl group Little Mix."
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However, when Leigh-Anne was attacked on Instagram for posting pictures of her dog with cropped ears, Kyro, boyfriend Andre responded on social media: "No one said i nor Leigh Anne agree with it as i know it is known a lot to be done for fighting purposes but for 1 he is not from the uk, 2 when i went to see him i fell in love with his unique colour and his loving and funny character so it was not a decision on supporting ear cropping it was a decision of bringing him to a loving home where he will be looked after beyond belief and loved forever!
"So it was a surprise for Leigh and like me fell in love with him when she seen him so was know way of us sending him away to be adopted! So yeah not supporting just showing love for our dog" [sic].
So while Leigh-Anne does own a dog with cruelly cropped ears, she seemed to not know of the offences committed at the time of purchase, nor chose the dog herself.
The breeder however, dad-of-four Davis admitted seven offences under the Animal Welfare Act when he appeared at Nuneaton Magistrates' Court in December.
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On Wednesday, he was given an 18-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months - meaning he'll avoid jail - and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work.
He was also banned from keeping animals for life and ordered to pay more than £10,000 in costs.
Sentencing, chair of the bench Davinder Athwal said: "You receive this sentence because of the unnecessary suffering to animals and financial gains you have made.
He added: "You were clearly aware the operation you were running was illegal and accepted the risks associated with running an illegal operation contrary to the welfare of the animals."
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The disrespect for the animals' welfare didn't end there though.
More American Bulldogs were found at Davis's mother's address nearby, including two pregnant dogs, six of these also had cropped ears.
He had also sought to buy ear clamps which are attached to the ear and used as a stencil so the desired 'uniform shape' is created during the cutting process.
He also wanted to buy a table to carry out operations on and messages on his phone showed seeking the services of a 'cropper' from the USA, to carry out the process .
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Shocking photos found on Davis's phone by investigators show some of the puppies he bred as they were undergoing the procedure at the premises.
Prosecutor Sara Pratt, for the RSPCA, said: "Simon Davis is the owner of Lions Lair Kennels, a professional commercial enterprise.
"A number of dogs have been bought by celebrities and have created further high-profile publicity for the breed and the business itself.
"Ear cropping for cosmetic reasons is an illegal practice in the UK and may only be undertaken by a qualified veterinary surgeon, and it's prohibited except for medical reasons."
The RSPCA confirmed that "there is an experience of pain for the dog" and it "would have caused suffering."
It also confirmed that Davis knew the practice was illegal, revealing he even said in a text himself it "is banned".
Adding: "But despite this he arranged for a cropper to visit the kennels and carry out cropping on the puppies."
We're literally heartbroken at the thought of it - poor fur babies.
Featured Image Credit: SWNSTopics: News, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Animals, Dogs