Popstar Britney Spears decided that her new Doberman puppy, Porsha, would not be undergoing an ear cropping procedure. The puppy, gifted by her fiancè Sam Ashgari on October 2021, was the newest member of the growing doggie family of the pop singer with a Maltese and a Yorkie.
Ashgari revealed that they would not be cropping the ears of the new puppy, saying “the surgical procedure and subsequent recovery process affects the puppy psychologically and creates that trauma because puppies are so young and they’re developing.”
The puppy’s tail was already cropped unfortunately, Ashgari added. The practice of ear cropping is very common among Doberman Pinschers where a portion of the ear is removed to make the ears stand erect.
A Fan Question
The topic arose when a fan asked a question on social media whether they are going to crop Porsha’s ears.
Ashgari answered, “a lot of you guys are asking if we’re gonna lip the ears, crop the ears, and the answer to that is absolutely no.” He continued, “the reason for that is, first of all, we love her floppy ears. Two, she’s a lover, not a fighter. She’s a protector. And three, it actually turns out that it’s pretty cruel to do that to Dobermans, or any dog.”
He further stated that ear cropping is done for cosmetic reasons for the most part of it was proven that ear cropping to prevent ear infections is just a myth.
He, however, accepts that ear cropping makes Dobermans look beautiful, superb, and aggressive like Batman. But, he also thinks that Porsha’s ears are very adorable.
Ear cropping is a procedure that cuts off the fluffy parts of the ears. It is then taped to a hard surface and left for several weeks until the ears stand upright. It is usually done on anesthetized dogs between 6 and 12 weeks of age.
PETA Happy
Ingrid Newkirk, the PETA founder, praised the couple for their decision, saying, “many well-intentioned people don’t have a clue that cropping dogs’ ears are done purely for appearance’s sake and it is terribly painful and traumatic to a dog or that the practice is universally condemned by ethical veterinarians and banned altogether in the UK and other countries.”
Newkirk thanked the couple for allowing Porsha to keep the natural, beautiful, and lovely ears that she was born with. Newkirk is hoping that the millions of the couple’s followers will flow suit and accept and love their pets just the way they are.
Elective surgeries, such as ear cropping and tail docking are routine for Dobermans, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Schnauzers. It is still practiced widely in the US and Canada with over 130,000 puppies getting the procedure every year.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) accepts the practice saying it is “integral to defining and preserving breed character” in some breeds, but the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) opposes it, stating on their website, “the AVMA opposes ear cropping and tail docking of dogs when done solely for cosmetic purposes. The AVMA encourages the elimination of these practices from breed standards.”
