A Blantyre woman has been handed a £300 fine with £20 victim surcharge for failing to provide veterinary treatment after the ears of her American XL bully pup, Karma, were illegally cropped.

39-year-old Lisa Barrett of Nordic Crescent, Blantyre, pled guilty at Hamilton Sheriff Court on 31 July to failing to provide veterinary treatment for the puppy.

A Scottish SPCA special investigations unit inspector involved in the case said “We attended a premises in Blantyre on 16 August 2022 and found Karma, an American XL bully puppy, at the property with cropped ears.

“We immediately removed the dog due to concerns for her welfare. It was determined by a vet that the ear cropping would have taken place around two to three weeks prior.

“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.

“Karma had the stitches removed from her ears after she came into Barrett’s care. The stitches were not removed by a vet.

“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.”