Blantyre woman fined £300 for failing to get treatment after puppy's ears were illegally cropped

A woman from South Lanarkshire has been handed a fine after failing to provide treatment after her puppy’s ears were illegally cropped.

Lisa Barrett, 39, pled guilty at Hamilton Sheriff court of July 31, after a Scottish SPCA investigation into the incident.

The charity’s special investigations unit attended her home at Nordic Crescent, Blantyre, on August 16 last year.

They found that her American XL bully puppy, Karma, had her ears cropped around two to three weeks before their visit.

Karma was immediately removed from Barrett’s care and taken to a vet, who found that the dog’s stitches had been removed at home without medical care.

A Scottish SPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said: “This illegal procedure would have caused Karma considerable pain and discomfort for purely cosmetic reasons.

“In the UK, as ear cropping is a prohibited procedure, any operation is also unlikely to be carried out with appropriate anaesthetic or pain relief.

“Barrett did not take Karma to see a veterinary surgeon after the illegal procedure had been carried and, even then, she was taken to the veterinary clinic for her vaccinations and not for her ears.”

Barrett was given a £300 fine along with a £20 victim surcharge for failing to provide veterinary treatment for the puppy.

They added: “While we’re pleased Barrett was fined we’re extremely disappointed that she was not given a ban on keeping animals.

“The cruelty involved in ear cropping is horrific and we feel the sentence should reflect that.

“If anyone has concerns about the welfare of an animal they should call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”