Glasgow Man issued five-year ban for not caring for dog after cropping American pocket bully's ears

A man from Glasgow has been banned from keeping animals for five years for failing to care for his dog’s ears after having them cropped.

Mohammad Tofiq Sadiq, 27, of Lethamhill Road, was charged under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 and was given a 12-month community payback order and a five-year ban on owning and keeping animals.

Sadiq first came to the attention of the Scottish SPCA in April 2022 after reports made to its animal helpline of a dog being neglected.

The animal charity investigated and a male American pocket bully, named Kilo, was seen in the property with cropped ears which were red and scabby.

When asked if the dog’s ears had received treatment, Sadiq said they had been cleaned with “salty water” and that the animal had been given paracetamol.

Kilo was immediately removed from the premises and taken to a veterinary practice to be examined.

Sadiq pled guilty to causing unnecessary suffering and was sentenced on October 30 at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

A Scottish SPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said: “On April 18, 2022, we attended the premises following a call to our animal helpline regarding a dog being neglected.

“On entering the property, a male American pocket bully, named Kilo, could be seen with cropped ears which were red and scabby.

“Sadiq claimed he had only had the dog for around nine days and that his ears had been cropped by his previous owner. When asked if the dog had seen a vet he said that he had been cleaning Kilo’s ears with salty water and giving him paracetamol.

“Due to concerns for Kilo’s welfare, we immediately removed him from the premises and took him to a veterinary practice to be examined.

“The vet stated that due to how fresh the wounds appeared to be, they believed the procedure had been carried out within the last seven to ten days. Kilo was given anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the swelling and pain the wounds would have been causing.

“We then took Kilo to one of our animal rescue and rehoming centres where he could receive the ongoing medical care he needed. While he was there we scanned him for a microchip and we were able to contact a previous owner who was able to confirm that the dog had full ear flaps when they last saw him in February.

“We are pleased Sadiq has received a community payback order, and a disqualification order that prevents him from keeping animals for a period of five years due to his blatant disregard for Kilo’s welfare”

“If anyone is concerned about the welfare of an animal, they can call our confidential helpline on 03000 999 999.”