A puppy of the American bully breed was seized by the Investigation Police (PDI) at the santiago airport for animal abuse. With three months he was going to be sent to Antofagasta after a sale, but he was with severe injuries due to the mutilation of ears by cosmetic surgery.
Deputy Commissioner Jaime Zamorano explained to the morning welcome that “the complaint was made by SKY cargo personnel, who received this dog to be sent to the city of Antofagasta. These people noticed that the animal had cuts, some lesions on the ears that were very bloody.”
The Fundación Ayuda Callejeros remained in charge of the care of the dog until its recovery, expressing its absolute rejection of cosmetic surgeries practiced on animals.
Through their National Technical Commissions of Responsible Pet Ownership, Bioethics and Animal Welfare, they issued a public statement that states that “the cutting of ears (otectomy) and tail (caudectomy) for aesthetic purposes has no technical or scientific justification, causing in some occasions irreversible consequences in the communication mechanisms and expression of behavior of pets”.
“These procedures can generate numerous post-operative complications -as observed in the case exposed by the PDI-, and that could generate chronic pain in the animal. For these reasons, in several countries these surgeries are prohibited, as in the United Kingdom, while in others, they are socially condemned,” they added.
They also recalled that “it is important that the community and pet guardians are clear that, both the ears and the tail of the canines, play a fundamental role in terms of the individual and collective relationship of the animals. These structures are of paramount importance in canine communication, because they give numerous and varied signals that are transmitted, received and interpreted”.
For the specialists, “it has enough scientific evidence to demonstrate the harms caused by these procedures. Therefore, in the technical opinion of our guild and as health professionals, aesthetic operations on pets are considered mutilations that harm their well-being and can affect their health, so they should be prohibited”.
