Lancaster man who allowed puppies' ears to be cropped jailed

Dane Crawford pleaded guilty to five offences which the RSPCA described as "serious cruelty"

A man who committed a spree of animal cruelty offences including allowing the ears of puppies to be illegally cropped has been jailed.

Dane Crawford, 30, admitted five offences under the Animal Welfare Act relating to his pet dogs and a fox at his Lancaster home.

His partner Shelby Wallis, 23, admitted three offences.

Crawford was sentenced to two-and-a-half years while Wallis was handed a suspended sentence.

Crawford was also disqualified from keeping all animals for life during the hearing at Preston Crown Court, while Wallis received a 10-year ban.

The pair's "portfolio" of offences included failing to treat "traumatic" injuries suffered by their two lurchers and allowing the ears of two bull breeds to be illegally cropped, the RSPCA said.

Crawford, who later moved to Liverpool, also admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a fox after setting dogs on the wild animal inside a garage.

'Serious cruelty'

The RSPCA launched an investigation after receiving information about the ear-cropping and police searched his Howgill Avenue home in February 2022.

The RSPCA said videos on two seized mobile phones showed foxes being set loose in confined spaces with dogs encouraged to attack them.

There was also an image of Crawford with his dogs holding a dead fox, the RSPCA said.

He was arrested in November 2022 after police went to the home again and found injured dogs including the two lurchers and the bull breeds with cropped ears.

Five dogs were removed and taken into kennels, the animal charity said.

Wallis was handed a three-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

RSPCA inspector Will Lamping said there was a "serious level of cruelty shown to both the wild animals literally being thrown to the dogs and to the puppies whose ears were mutilated".

He said the pair's own dogs were used in the attacks and were left without veterinary treatment for serious injuries including a fractured leg.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]