Puppy found in Danville with ears cut off

A 6-week-old pit bull puppy is recovering from having its ears cut off with box cutters and its owner is facing animal abuse charges.

Paulette Dean, director of the Danville Area Humane Society, said police officers noticed the injured puppy on Thursday while serving a warrant at Lorenza Jones’ home at 425 Audubon Drive on an unrelated matter.

Animal Control officers and the Humane Society were called to the location, and the puppy was taken to a veterinarian for treatment.

“It’s pitiful,” Dean said Monday. “The ears are just gone — two holes and that’s it. It evidently didn’t happen long before we got there because it was still very bloody and the puppy was lethargic, maybe even in shock.”

Dean said this went well beyond a botched home-cropping job.

“The AKC (American Kennel Club) sanctions ear-cropping in certain breeds, but of course by veterinarians,” she said. “Cropping is cosmetic surgery. In this case, the ears are just gone.”

Dean said investigators searched for the puppy’s ears but couldn’t find them. They did, however, find bloody box cutters in the trash.

Dean said the Humane Society has known for years that owners of pit bulls who plan to train them for fighting sometimes call in someone to remove their ears.

People who are hired to cut the ears charge about $50 for the service, which supposedly gives a fighting dog’s opponent one less thing to grab hold of, she said.

Dean noted that such a procedure leaves an animal’s ears with no protection from sun, rain or anything in the air, and ear infections also will be an issue.

The Humane Society has never been able to get the names of any of the people involved in cutting off dogs’ ears, she said, which is why it is now offering a reward for that information.

“The owner of the puppy knows who did this; he was there, he paid the guy, but he said he doesn’t know the guy’s name,” Dean said. “We’re offering the $1,000 reward because someone knows — someone knows who did this.”

The puppy is recovering from its injuries at the Danville animal shelter. The Humane Society has filed for permanent custody of the puppy in General District Court. That hearing will be held April 16.

The case also is under investigation by the Danville Police Department, and charges of animal cruelty are pending against Jones.

“There’s no rhyme or reason for doing something like that,” Dean said. “It’s just cruel; you can’t justify it.”

The Humane Society has offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who cut this puppy’s ears off, or for information about any individuals who cut dogs ears off for a fee.

Anyone with information is asked to call (434) 799-5306.