Coupe des oreilles de chiens à Hollywood....

[Animal 0]

Bill targets ear-cropping of pooches

By Karen Rubin Staff Writer

An Assembly bill outlawing dog ear-cropping has Valley breeders up in arms and local animal rescue groups cheering.
West Hollywood Democrat Assemblyman Paul Koretz's bill proposes to make the practice of trimming the ears from top to bottom and taping them to train the furry flaps to stand upright a misdemeanor.

The surgery is done when the dog is between eight and 12 weeks old on Doberman pinschers, great Danes,boxers, miniature pinschers, schnauzers and American pit bulls.

Ear-cropping over the centuries was done because dogs were used to fight or hunt dangerous animals, and it was a way to curtail its opponent from chewing its ears.

Today, it's done to give certain breeds an "attentive look" in line with its body, experts say.

Local rescue groups say it's cruel and painful.

Kim Coxwell of Glendora runs the San Gabriel Valley Great Dane Rescue. Since it began operating, Coxwell's rescue has handled some 100 dogs. Recently, Coxwell rescued Toby, a 9-month-old black-and-white great Dane from a Lancaster shelter.

His head is as big as a shoe box and when on all fours, he stands chest-high. His ears, instead of floppy or erect, are too small and lie flat on top of his head.

"He does not want me to touch his ears and he gets really upset with me," said Coxwell. She stroked Toby's ear, which made him whimper and turn away.

Koretz's bill, AB 418, passed through the Assembly Committee on Public Safety but stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week because lawmakers want to review the bill's financial impact on the state's economy.

On May 27, lawmakers will decide which bills merit release to the Assembly floor. Released bills continue on their journey to become law, said TeresaStark, a spokesman for Koretz.

Dog fanciers argue the state will lose thousands, because breeders will boycott shows out of fear of harassment and excessive animal-rights protest.

"We will have to leave the state and go somewhere else," said Alhambra resident Richard Mussler, president of the Los Angeles Doberman Pinscher Club.

A two-day dog show attracts some 2,000 people and contributes some $345,000 to the local economy, said American Kennel Club officials. The club hosted 1,400 events last year.

Dr. Jon Klingborg, president of California Veterinary Medical Association, says the body supports AB 418.

"The CVMA must be a strong voice on animal welfare," Klingborg said. "Ear-cropping is cosmetic and an unnecessary surgery."

Veterinarian Dr. Robert La Bounty, estimates he has done some 40,000 ear-croppings over his 40 years in practice.

At 70, he is considered an expert in the surgery, using a freehand method of trimming the ear, stitching and then taping. La Bounty anesthetizes the dog and follows up with pain killers. It's a 45-minute surgery.

"It's an art, like any cosmetic surgery," he said. "Vets have tried it and found it's not easy to do."

La Bounty says banning the surgery will only drive it underground and into the hands of inexperienced backyard breeders.

At the Baldwin Park animal shelter on Elton Avenue, several pit bulls sat behind bars, many looking like their ears were cut off.

"When they are just puppies they cut the ears off because they want to use them for fighting," said Al Gonzalez, an animal control officer.

But Mussler says it's the owner's choice and government should not get involved.

"They all make us sound like Dr. Mengele performing surgery on prisoners of war."

- Karen Rubin can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2109, or by e-mail at karen.rubin@sgvn.com.

April 24, 2005