Dog ban for Coventry man after animal's ears removed Published duration 29 November 2019

image copyright West Mercia Police image caption Martin Carter arranged to have Marley's ears surgically cropped

A man has been banned from keeping dogs for life after having the ears removed from an animal that was stolen from a dogs home.

Martin Carter, 32, also arranged for its microchip to be surgically removed.

In June, he was jailed for six months after he admitted handling stolen goods and causing a prohibited procedure to be performed on an animal.

After an appeal by police, he was handed the disqualification at Leamington Magistrates Court on Monday.

West Mercia Police said Carter, of Mercers Meadow, Coventry, arranged for both procedures on Marley - an XL Bully breed - to hide the animal's identity, having been stolen from Birmingham Dogs Home.

The removed microchip was replaced with another, said police who added the charity had since re-homed Marley.

Gill Casey of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "There is no justification for Carter putting Marley through painful and illegal procedures."

An RSPCA spokesperson added: "[Ear cropping] is painful, wholly unnecessary and often done only for the purposes of appearance.

"Sadly, the RSPCA has seen a surge in the number of reports of ear cropping over recent years and we're seeing more dogs coming into our care with cropped ears."