Cropping (Animal)

Cropping is the removal of part or all of the external flaps of an animal's ear, sometimes involving bracing and taping the remainder of the ears to train them to point upright. Almost exclusively performed on dogs, it is an old practice once done for perceived health, practical or cosmetic reasons; veterinary science states there is no medical or physical advantage to the animal from the procedure, leading to concerns of animal cruelty, and cropping is now banned in many nations though still legal in a limited number of countries.