Lee Fazakerley, 30, avoided jail after the ‘extremely painful and unlawful procedure' was carried out on his doberman’s ears
A dog owner who paid someone £400 in Birmingham to carry out an ‘extremely painful and unlawful procedure' on his pet to make it look scarier has avoided a jail term, a court heard.
Lee Fazakerley allowed the cropping of his female doberman’s ears in a move branded by a judge as a “macho-status symbol.”
The 30-year-old admitted that his dog, Cartel, was subject to the banned ear cropping procedure, which is contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006. The case comes as reports of ear-cropping incidents have risen by 707 per cent since 2015.
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In mitigation, it was said the defendant had poor mental health and that his dogs acted as a support. He had a life-time caring for dogs and had learned his lesson.
Fazakerley, of Jacksdale, Nottingham, was jailed for four months imprisonment, suspended for two years. He was also banned from keeping dogs for four years.
He was ordered to pay £400 costs and £154 victim surcharge, carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work and given 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.
“This was not a spur-of-the-moment event. This particular dog was mutilated as a macho-status symbol by making her look scary,” Mr Recorder Jonathan Lee told him at sentencing at Derby Crown Court on March 12.
“If you have had custody of dogs for as long as suggested by your counsel, you would know that your actions would cause her extreme pain and that what you were doing was illegal.”
The RSPCA has campaigned vociferously against ear-cropping after a decade in which reports of the cruel, unnecessary practice surged – 14 in 2015 to 113 in 2024 – up a massive 707 percent.
Ear cropping has been illegal in the UK for many years, but there are fears that its popularity has been fuelled by social media.
There also remains a legal loophole which allows dogs with cropped ears to be imported into the country.
Speaking after the sentencing, RSPCA Inspector Caroline Richardson said: “This individual has been heavily involved in the ‘dog world' for years – owning, keeping and training many dogs.
“He should have known better than to pay someone to cut his dog's ears off, purely for cosmetic reasons.
“I am glad the courts thought it was necessary to ban him from keeping dogs for the next four years.
“We hope this sentence prevents others who are considering putting dogs through this unnecessary, painful procedure from going through with it.
“Ear cropping is not only painful at the time and during the healing process – which involves putting posts in dogs ears for breeds such as Dobermans. It can also have life long effects on the dogs.”
