American Bully dog show due to be held in Trafford cancelled amid concerns over animal welfare
08.04.2023 - 17:31
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
An American Bully dog show which was due to be held in Trafford has been cancelled amid concerns from animal welfare charities, police and the local council.
The event, run by the American Bully Kennel Club (ABKC) UK, was due to be held earlier this year in Coventry, but was cancelled after a BBC Panorama investigation.
Organisers of the show had arranged for it to take place at the Bowler's Exhibition Centre in Stretford today (Saturday 8 April), but the venue has since pulled out, after 'extensive consultation' with local authorities, police and the RSPCA.
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It comes after Trafford Council expressed concerns about the event, and added that they did not 'support any events where the welfare of animals could be put at risk.'
The BBC investigation showed American bully-type dogs with cropped ears getting prizes at a previous show ran by the ABKC. The practice involves skin at the top of dog's ears being cut off to reshape them, and is illegal in the UK.
Journalists from the BBC's Panorama and Disclosure programme also secretly filmed in the house of an ABKC qualified judge and found two 10-week old puppies in a cage with freshly cropped ears.
The ABKC dog show organiser, Sean Main, previously told the BBC there was nothing illegal about the show. "It's not illegal for a dog with cropped ears to be imported into the country," he said.
He declined to confirm if all cropped-eared dogs to be shown at the cancelled show in Trafford had been imported into the UK.
The Manchester Evening News approached Mr Main, who was listed as the organiser of the event due to be held in Trafford, but he did not provide a comment.
A spokesperson for the