Fears over new ‘devil dogs' craze among gangsters getting pets' ears illegally cropped to give them macho look
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British breeders are openly selling a certain mixed breed of American bully dogs with illegally cropped ears which are meant to give them a macho "devil" look.
The craze for "devil dogs" - especially amongst gangsters - has spawned a surge in backstreet ear-cropping by DIY vets in the UK.
Anaesthetics, cropping irons and scalpels have been seized in raids as investigators work to crack down on the cruel practice.
The barbaric chopping of ears is illegal in the UK and is done "purely for vanity" while putting the animals through "unnecessary suffering", say opponents.
The practice gives massive American bullies – originally bred from American pit bulls and Staffordshire terriers – a devilish look that breeders have seized on.
Drug baron William Byrne – Scotland’s biggest American bully breeder – has made a fortune after investing in top-end bloodlines, producing massive dogs that can sell for £5000 each.
The Daily Record's War on Puppy Farms campaign has revealed how hardcore drug dealers have moved “from drugs to dugs”, as huge rewards are available for zero risk in trading pups.
Some dealers who have been raided by the Scottish SPCA’s special investigations unit have claimed the ear-cropping was done before they took ownership of the animals, in countries like the US, where the practice is legal.
The Record discovered many Scottish breeders openly advertising animals with cropped ears when social media was trawled.
Among those to glory in the devilish appearance of dogs for sale is “King Coke” Byrne, 32, who was sentenced to a four-and-a-half-year prison term in 2010 for running a £7million heroin empire.
Byrne established a successful kennels firm in Stirling, called Dynamight, and his Facebook page features many dogs with cropped ears, brazenly referring to them as “demon pups”.
He told a newspaper last year that his dog-breeding days were finished. But his Demon Boy stud dog is famous in the international American bully dog community and has made him a fortune in stud fees.
Byrne and 15 crooks linked to his gang were given sentences of more than 60 years after being caught smuggling cocaine from the Caribbean and flooding Scotland’s streets.
He told the taxman he’d earned less than £5000 since 2002. But he lived in luxury in a £350,000 home in Stirling and drove BMW and Mercedes cars worth more than £50,000.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: “This new trend of cropping the ears of American bullies is incredibly worrying and feels like a step backwards for animal welfare. The procedure is done purely for vanity and provides no benefit to the dogs.
“Ear-cropping is illegal in the UK and as such these procedures will be carried out by untrained individuals with makeshift equipment causing unnecessary suffering and potential long-term health conditions.
“It is vital people recognise these dogs do not naturally look like this but the growth in seeing these cropped-eared dogs on social media hasn’t helped that.”
Byrne has bred dogs with animals owned by close friends Sean Main, 33, and his brother-in-law Derek Morris, 39 – both big players in the “devil dog” breeding scene.
Former soldier Main’s Blackskull Bullyz operation works closely with Morris, who uses macabre grim reaper images, complete with scythe, to advertise his Reaper Bullyzenterprise.
Both men’s websites feature numerous dogs with cropped ears, with Main’s stud dog, Blackskulls El Diablo, a 32kg American pocket bully, available for stud at £800 a time.
Morris’s Facebook page features a photo of his wife Lynn in a Glasgow field with a pack of powerful bulldogs, with cropped ears.
The duo, who sell pups from their Glasgow homes, were cleared of running a £6million drugs importation racket after they unloaded 160 boxes of “dog food” – in fact containing heroin, cocaine and cannabis – sent to the Bella’s Dog Grooming Parlour that was run by Main’s wife Denise, 35, in 2015.
Main and Morris – main players in the UK arm of the American Bully Kennel Club, were found not guilty after Main told the jury he called the delivery firm to “come back and pick it up” after the consignment “looked weird”.
Main told the Record he only owns two dogs with cropped ears – both of which were brought over from America. He said: “I have two American bullies and they are basically family pets.
“I did breed them but all pups were sold with ears intact. We love our dogs and we have enjoyed showing them at dog shows. We wouldn’t do anything to hurt them.”
Several big breeders operate in the east coast, including Joe Pullar, 26, of Tranent, East Lothian. Pullar operates his Edinburgh Bullies Kennels enterprise from a large customised kennels in Tranent, where he breeds bulldogs for sale. He also shows them in competition.
His Facebook page also shows many “devil dogs” with cropped ears.
Pullar told the Record he had never made alterations to dogs’ ears, adding: “I have two dogs with cropped ears but they were like that when I acquired them. I wouldn’t be in favour of having a dog’s ears cropped.”
Despite being allowed in the US, many vets believe ear-cropping causes physical pain. Cropping takes place from 12 to16 weeks.
Ear-cropping is illegal under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, which came into force in 1992, as well as the Animal Welfare Act.