A dog owner has been sentenced to prison after he cropped three of his pets' ears.
Warren Wesley Jackman lived in Redditch Road in Birmingham with his three dogs.
However, last August, the RSPCA were called by police who 'attended a flat on another matter' but saw the 40-year-old's dogs' ears and were left concerned for the animals' welfare.
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RSPCA inspector Vicki Taylor explained how police noticed the dogs all had 'cropped ears'.
One of the dogs is called Mika, a female bully XL. She is the mother of the two puppies who were also found at the scene, both who are three months old.
Taylor detailed how the police seized the dogs after contacting her. The dogs were later placed in the care of the RSPCA.
The inspector continued: "The puppies’ ears were freshly cropped and had not yet healed; they still had stitches in the wounds. The male pups’ ears were inflamed and sore."
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The RSPCA tracked down 'the man who claimed to have bred the puppies before selling them to Jackman'.
The organisation interviewed him and got him to provide it with the 'bills of sale'.
Taylor said: "[The breeder] told us that Jackman had cropped their ears.
"When I spoke to Jackman he admitted that he’d paid £200 for them to have their ears cropped."
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As per the RSPCA's website, the ear cropping of dogs is illegal in England and Wales under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
It explains: "It's a painful process where a dog's outer ears are removed altogether or are surgically altered, with the tips or huge sections of the outer ear being cut off.
"In some medical situations, vets may perform a procedure called a pinnectomy that can look like the ears have been cropped.
"This is only done in the case of disease of the ears and is more usually required in white cats who can sometimes get skin cancer.
"The procedure is allowed when there are clear medical reasons - clearly very different to when ears are surgically altered for cosmetic reasons."
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Despite it being illegal to crop your dog's ears yourself or send them to have the procedure, whether in England or Wales or abroad, the RSPCA noted that, 'unfortunately, it still happens'.
Jackman appeared in Birmingham Magistrates' Court.
He pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act.
Jackman was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison and also banned for life from keeping any animals.
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Mika and the two puppies are now being re-homed by the RSPCA.
If you see an animal in distress and/or in need of help, contact the RSPCA's 24-hour animal cruelty line on 0300 1234 999 or visit their website for further advice
Poppy Bilderbeck