Dog owner in Birmingham who cropped his Dobermans ears banned from owning dogs for life

A dog owner who cropped both ears of his Doberman and left them hanging off has been banned from owning dogs for life.

Ali Raza Nazam, 27, was handed a 12-week prison sentence suspended for one year after RSPCA investigators uncovered his gruesome actions.

Vets in Birmingham alerted the RSPCA to a potential animal welfare issue after Nazam brought his doberman Georgia into the surgery on January 17, 202.

Stunned vets discovered that poor Georgia’s ears were severely cropped and separating from her head. The poor pooch was left with exposed flesh near her ears along with a lingering stench of infection and rotting flesh. Nazam had only owned Georgia for five weeks before deciding to take her to see specialists after noticing blood.

Georgia, who was imported from Hungary, had a haematoma, a swelling containing blood, with a laceration to the base of the ear pinna with a pus discharge in her left ear. Her right ear had multiple lacerations with a pus discharge. Ear cartilage was exposed in multiple places.

She had also suffered a docked tail and had undergone dew claw removal, along with having both of her ear pinnae cropped.

Cruel owner Nazam claims he applied tape to make the dogs ears stay erect just 24 hours before noticing blood, but investigators argued that was a lie. Ear cropping is a cruel trend where owners shape their dogs ears to appear constantly erect to give the illusion of aggression.

Since the start of 2020 alone there have been 1,191 reports related to ear cropping made to the RSPCA. He received a lifetime ban on owning dogs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court and was also made to pay £3,000 in costs, along with 200 hours unpaid work.

A veterinary report presented to court said: “Nazam states that just 24 hours after he had applied the tape to the ears there was blood present. If this was the case then the tapes must have been applied in such a way to have cut through the skin resulting in the extensive lacerations to the base of the ear pinnae.

“This may have occurred via two mechanisms - either he applied the tapes very tightly cutting directly into the skin, or the tapes had been in place for much longer causing a gradual pressure necrosis of the ear pinnae.

“In my opinion, the needs of Georgia had not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible for the welfare of this animal applying tape to the ear pinnae resulting in skin lacerations and extensive ischaemic necrosis of the ear pinnae, thereby failing to protect this animal from injury, pain and suffering.

“Her needs have not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible failing to seek prompt veterinary advice regarding the ear injuries. Georgia was caused to suffer as a consequence of this delay.”

Inspector Boris Lasserre, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said after the sentencing: “We are unfortunately seeing a trend for cropping dogs’ ears, and then taping or splinting to promote a false aesthetic where dogs’ ears look permanently alert.

“There are no benefits to dogs, it’s simply a fashion trend that compromises dog welfare.

“There is no evidence of any benefit to performing cropping or taping of dogs’ ears. It’s heartbreaking to see dogs, like Georgia, mutilated and forced to suffer simply because their owners consider it to look more attractive. Animals are not toys or accessories, they deserve our care and respect.”