He cropped his dog's ears with a DIY procedure, without any medical reason and, more importantly, without the authorization of a veterinarian. For this reason, a 59-year-old man, resident in Monteforte Irpino, in the province of Avellino, has been reported to the Avellino Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of animal cruelty.
The incident was discovered by the Carabinieri Forestry Corps, who were conducting a series of checks on pets in the Irpinia area. During an inspection, the officers determined that the dog—a Caucasian Shepherd approximately seven years old—had undergone a bilateral conchectomy, or complete cropping of the ears, a practice prohibited by law except for proven therapeutic reasons.
According to the reconstruction, the man would have performed the mutilation independently or in any case without the involvement of specialized personnel.
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Italian animal welfare legislation, and in particular the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, has for years prohibited unnecessary surgical procedures such as ear or tail cropping, considered acts of cruelty without medical justification.
The man now risks being charged with animal cruelty under Article 544-ter of the Criminal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of three to eighteen months or a fine of up to 30 euros for anyone who causes unjustified suffering or injury to an animal.
Law enforcement has announced that checks will continue in the coming days throughout the province of Avellino, with particular attention to kennels, breeding facilities, and large pets, to prevent and combat illegal practices and abuse.
Comments (1)
Reading about this, I wondered how something like this could be possible. It's important for the authorities to check more frequently, because animals don't deserve to suffer like this. I hope justice is done.