Joey Essex has returned his new puppy after receiving backlash from fans and animal charities over its “mutilated” ears.
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Joey, 32, recently shared snaps of the latest addition to his family on Instagram in a now-deleted post, with the caption: "Newest member." However, his followers soon pointed out the pup appeared to have cropped ears, a purely cosmetic procedure which is banned in the UK.
After being slammed by fans, Joey said he was "horrified" and has now returned the pooch to show he does not condone the act of ear cropping. The practice is deemed cruel as it is usually a painful procedure carried out without anaesthetic and is often used purely to make them look fashionable.
