The owner of a dog who left their pet to suffer with infected cropped and taped ears has been banned from keeping dogs for life.

Ali Raza Nazam (date of birth: 21/02/1996) of Highfield Road, Birmingham, was also sentenced to a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for one year, following an investigation and prosecution by the RSPCA. On Monday 17th January 2022, the animal welfare charity was contacted by a vet who reported concerns for the welfare of doberman Georgia who had been brought into the surgery by Nazam.

Both the dog’s ears were severely injured. The flesh was exposed and the ear flaps were visibly separating from the dog’s head with the stench of infection and rotting flesh

Georgia, who also had a docked tail and had undergone dew claw removal, had both her ear pinnae cropped. They were lacerated at the base and were very sore and had a large amount of pus present. Both ear pinnae were filled with blood and infected ear canals.

The left ear had a haematoma, a swelling containing blood, with a laceration to the base of the ear pinna with a pus discharge. The ear cartilage was exposed.

The right ear had multiple lacerations with a pus discharge. Ear cartilage was exposed in multiple places. Both ear flaps were also necrotic with dead and dying tissue.

Georgia, who was born in Serbia and was imported from Hungary, had been owned by Nazam for just five weeks when she was rescued by the RSPCA. On December 10 2021, after sending a digital image to Georgia’s previous owner in Serbia, Nazam received advice on how to make her cropped ears remain erect.

Nazam claimed he taped the dog’s ears and applied sticks on January 12 2022 before noticing blood the following day. A veterinary report presented to court said: “Nazam states that just 24 hours after he had applied the tape to the ears there was blood present.

“If this was the case then the tapes must have been applied in such a way to have cut through the skin resulting in the extensive lacerations to the base of the ear pinnae. This may have occurred via two mechanisms - either he applied the tapes very tightly cutting directly into the skin, or the tapes had been in place for much longer causing a gradual pressure necrosis of the ear pinnae.

“In my opinion, the needs of Georgia had not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible for the welfare of this animal applying tape to the ear pinnae resulting in skin lacerations and extensive ischaemic necrosis of the ear pinnae, thereby failing to protect this animal from injury, pain and suffering. Her needs have not been met to the extent required by good practice due to the person responsible failing to seek prompt veterinary advice regarding the ear injuries.

“Georgia was caused to suffer as a consequence of this delay.” Alongside the lifetime disqualification and suspended prison sentence, Nazam, who was sentenced after being found guilty at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay £3,000 costs.

He was also told to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation requirement activity (RAR) days when he was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates Court on August 18. Unfortunately, the soft tissue damage to both her ear flaps was too extensive to repair and she required both ear pinnas to be removed by vets.

Since her rescue, Georgia has made a full recovery in the care of the RSPCA and can now be found a new home. Worryingly, since the start of 2020, 1,191 reports related to ear cropping have been made to the RSPCA.

Inspector Boris Lasserre, who investigated for the animal welfare charity, said after the sentencing: “We are unfortunately seeing a trend for cropping dogs' ears, and then taping or splinting to promote a false aesthetic where dogs' ears look permanently alert. There are no benefits to dogs, it’s simply a fashion trend that compromises dog welfare.

“There is no evidence of any benefit to performing cropping or taping of dogs' ears. It’s heartbreaking to see dogs, like Georgia, mutilated and forced to suffer simply because their owners consider it to look more attractive. Animals are not toys or accessories, they deserve our care and respect.”