A female American Staffordshire Bull Terrier whose ears have been cropped has been found in Wollert.
A local resident found the dog wandering on Summerhill Road on Sunday, September 1.
The dog’s ears appeared to have been recently cropped and were bandaged and taped together.
The dog was collected by Whittlesea council and taken to the Epping Animal Welfare Facility before being transferred to RSPCA Burwood for specialised veterinary treatment.
The RSPCA said the majority of the dog’s ears had been removed.
RSPCA Victoria inspector Julia Hampson said it was an appalling act of “senseless cruelty”.
She said the cosmetic ear cropping procedure was unnecessary and detrimental to the welfare of the dog.
The RSPCA believes the procedure was done in the past week or so.
“These procedures are only permitted if they are conducted by a registered veterinary practitioner for the health or welfare of an animal,” Ms Hampson said.
“The assessment of our veterinarians is that this has absolutely not been the case in this instance.”
The dog was not wearing a collar and was not microchipped.
“We’re urging anybody with information about this dog’s history or her background to come forward and help us identify the person or persons responsible for this act of cruelty,” Ms Hampson said.
“RSPCA Victoria relies on the local community to assist in these cases, and even the smallest detail can help.”
