Ads with ear cropping, dew clawing and other modifications are not accepted on dogs.ie. Imported dogs with these modifications will also not be accepted.
Performing of these modifications such as ear cropping is purely done for cosmetic reasons, serves no purpose, and causes the animals a lot of pain and anguish throughout their entire lives. Dogs use their ears to communicate emotions to other dogs and humans.
For these reasons, ads with dogs that have their ears cropped / modified will not be accepted. Ads from sellers who post these ads will also be reported to the ISPCA or relevant authorities.
In 2007, the UK Kennel Club and in 2014 the Irish Kennel Club, banned dogs with cropped ears from participating in dog shows.
Legal Status of ear cropping
It is against the law to perform this surgery in Ireland and Europe. It’s important to note, it does not necessarily mean that all dogs you see on the streets with cropped ears have been done illegally, it is possible and legal, to import dogs into Ireland where these procedure was preformed legally abroad.
Note: It is still legal to crop ears of dogs in the US & Canada. Despite it being legal to own a dog that’s has had its ear cropped, dogs.ie will not publish ads of dogs where their ears have been cropped.
How to spot cropped ears
Certain breeds tend to more frequently have their ears cropped, these include Doberman Pinschers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Boxers, even Great Danes, Boston Terrier and Schnauzers are sometimes cropped.
Examples of dogs with cropped ears
Dog ears and emotions
Dogs’ ears can communicate whether they are relaxed, anxious, afraid. Here is a quick summary of possible positions and emotions that go along with them
| No. | Dog Ear Position | Meaning |
| 1 | Neutral Position | A relaxed & happy dog |
| 2 | Pricked/Attentive Ears | An attentive or focused dog |
| 3 | Pricked/Alert Ears | A dog on high alert |
| 4 | Dropped Back/Pinned Ears | A dog is both happy and nervous at the same time, maybe anxious |
| 5 | Extremely Pinned Ears | A fearful dog, cowering, very afraid |
| 6 | Ears Changing Positions | A concerned or confused dog |
Dew clawing
Dew clawing is the name given to the removal the non-weight bearing toe of a dog (or cat). This essentially is the removal of a thumb or big toe for a human, but it’s used by dogs to grip toys and bones and can also be used when a dog is running. As with all dogs toes, these nails do need to be trimmed regularly to avoid injury or bleeding. It is against the law to perform this surgery without a legitimate reason, and for this reason all dogs who have had their dewclaws removed will not be accepted on dogs.ie.
Note: it is still legal to perform tail docking in Ireland under certain controlled circumstances and only for certain breeds. These ads do require additional documentation before an ad can be published.
Resources
- http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/125/made/en/print S.I. No. 125/2014 – Prohibition on Tail Docking (Dogs) Regulations 2014
- Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 Section 16
