DORSET pooch Dora is dealing with cropped ears this winter by wearing a specially-knitted hood – complete with woolly ears.

The four-year-old crossbreed’s owner, Jess Eley, of Poole, said the knitted hat not only keeps the cold out of the sensitive spot, but also makes passers-by less nervous around her – although they shouldn’t be frightened of her at any time.

Dora was rescued by the RSPCA in January 2021 when she was just a puppy – alongside her eight siblings – after they’d all had their ears cropped.

The painful process of cropping sees dogs’ ears are removed or altered to, some believe, reduce the risk of ear infections or injury.

However, the RSPCA says this is untrue, and that the process is ‘entirely unnecessary’ and cropping is illegal in England and Wales, but remains legal in other countries.

The RSPCA is urging MPs to back legislation which seeks to tackle the import of dogs, cats and ferrets into the UK – including dogs who have undergone ear cropping overseas.

Dora was fostered by RSPCA Ashley Heath kennel assistant Jess – who has since left the charity and now works as a dog walker – before being adopted by Jess and her partner in Poole.

Dora and Jess

“I bought Dora the hood to protect her ears from the cold wind and rain,” Jess said. “She hates the rain going into her ears; the way they’ve been cut means they’re really exposed to the elements. She’s also got a special rain coat with a built in hood to protect her ears too.”

Wearing the hoods has also helped change the public’s perception of Dora, she said.

“Dora is such a friendly, sweet-natured dog but many people don’t see that because they can’t see past her ears.

“Another benefit of her rain coat and her knitted snood is that it’s helped soften her appearance and means other people aren’t so judgemental of her; in fact they’re drawn to her and like to say hello and ask me questions about why she’s wearing it.”

Having her ears cropped has left Dora vulnerable to the weather and fearful of new objects, particularly noisy ones, Jess said, giving the hoods an important role.

“Still, to this day, Dora is very easily – and visibly – worried by general day-to-day household items such as the vacuum cleaner, dustpan and brush, garden hose or the sound of pots and pans on the stove,” she said.

“We’ve also had to put a lot of work into teaching Dora that being groomed isn’t scary. She was very worried about having her ears cleaned or her nails trimmed, and was very touch-sensitive.

“It took a long time to gain her trust following her awful early life experiences.”

Dora’s ears are now well protected, thanks to a knitted hood

When Dora first arrived in RSPCA care, vets removed staples from her ear which had been used to close the wound after her ears had been cropped.

While she settled into her new home brilliantly, Jess was concerned her ears were still uncomfortable.

“I’ve always had my suspicions that there was still a staple lodged in her ear. She had a hard lump that I could tell was very sensitive when touched. Whenever I cleaned her ears she’d wince when I touched that area.

“She was having knee surgery in early 2024 and while having post-op x-rays I asked the vets to check her ear; low and behold, there was a staple exactly where I thought and they removed it. The lump has disappeared and she’s now much happier and more comfortable.”

Now, the RSPCA wants MPs to push through new legislation to help crackdown on the import of dogs, cats and ferrets into the country.

The proposals – put forward by Winchester MP and vet Danny Chambers (Lib Dem) as a Private Members’ Bill – seek to crackdown on the commercial imports of puppies and kittens, offering greater protection to pregnant pets and youngsters, and banning the import of animals who have undergone painful mutilation procedures – such as cropped ears or declawing of cats – which are illegal in the UK.