Pit-bull breeder cropping ears with scissors
Franklin, IN (US)Date: May 8, 2001
Disposition: Convicted
Abuser/Suspect: Fabian Elisea
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A dog breeder convicted of using office scissors to cut off the ears of two pit bull puppies was sentenced to one year in jail.
In a bench trial, Johnson County Magistrate Court Judge Richard Tandy convicted Fabian Elisea on Monday of cruelty to animals and practicing veterinary medicine without a license.
Tandy then sentenced the 23-year-old Indianapolis man to the maximum term for the Class A misdemeanors, with no suspended time or probation.
"While it's on my watch, I'm not going to permit this to happen -- even if you think it's common practice within the county or within the dog-breeding and training arena," Tandy told Elisea.
Elisea testified that he crops his own dogs' ears in his pit bull breeding operation.
When William and Shawn Stratton of Franklin offered to sell him two puppies from a nine-week-old litter, Elisea offered to crop the dogs' ears.
Witnesses testified that Elisea taped the puppies' mouths shut and legs together, and cut off the ears with office scissors.
Shawn Stratton testified that her house "reeked of blood" after the procedure.
Dr. Edward O'Connor, a veterinarian who examined the puppies, testified that no sutures or glue were used to close the infected wounds. He called Elisea's ear-cropping "most inappropriate."
Animal-control officials seized both dogs and put them up for adoption.
Elisea defended ear-cropping as commonplace among pit-bull breeders. He called no witnesses to back up his claim.
"I've been doing this for about three years," he testified. "Nobody ever said nothing but 'It was OK."'
Elisea testified he numbed the dogs' ears by using an over-the-counter antiseptic and anesthetic first-aid spray. References« Back to Search Results
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