Crop Grants

The DPCA offers a grant in support of a sabbatical (for licensed vets) or a clinical externship (for 3rd and 4th year veterinary students) to work with veterinarians who perform show quality and breed standard ear crops. Grant recipients will be exposed to the surgical, anesthetic, and analgesic considerations required for this procedure. Safe and state of the art anesthesia and analgesia will be emphasized. Grant recipients will be exposed to needs for good patient after care, healing and posting for final aesthetic outcome. The standard for the Doberman Pinscher breed will be emphasized but other cropped breeds may also be seen as patients to provide as many opportunities to observe the procedure as possible for the grant recipient. The time of each sabbatical/externship is to be determined based on observation of several cropping procedures and with the input of the participating mentor.

Graduate Vet Grant Application

To educate and expose interested veterinarians in the art of breed standard ear cropping at the highest level of veterinary anesthesia and analgesic care.

Student Grant Application

To educate and expose veterinary students in their 3-4th year to the art of breed standard ear cropping at the highest level of veterinary anesthesia and analgesic care.

CROP GRANT GRADUATES

April 1, 2023

The vets listed below completed the Crop Grant program having observed a minimum of ten crops with a mentoring vet, a well established practitioner with significant show crop experience.

Dr. Mark Barker, DVM
Nichols Hills, Oklahoma 73166
405-520-5846

Dr. Lauren Bessert, DVM
Live Oak Veterinary
Jacksboro, Texas
940-567-6311

Dr. Amy Brent, DVM
Double X Veterinary Services
136 County Road 1793
Sunset, Texas 76270
940-514-9500

Dr. Stacy Curl, DVM
Block House Creek Animal Hospital
2200 N Bell Blvd.
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
512-259-4200

Dr. Hillary Faas, DVM
Pet Central Animal Hospital
2700 Central Ave., N.E.
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418
612-781-6941

Dr. Kelly Garrett, DVM
Healing Hands Veterinary Services
311 Hill Rd.
Groton, Massachusetts 01450
978-512-1092

Christine Gerst, DVM
Orangevale Veterinary Hospital
6248 Main Ave Unit D
Orangevale, CA 95662
916-987-2055

Dr. Rachel Hack, DVM
Egg Harbor, New Jersey
410-507-5504

Dr. Lori Hunt, DVM
Center West Animal Hospital
26050 Center Ridge Road
Westlake, Ohio 44145
440-871-6211

Dr. Liz Kismartoni, DVM
West Coast Veterinary Center
7910 State Rd 72
Sarasota, Florida 34241
941-925-2262

Dr. Justine Kwiecinski, DVM
Northside Animal Hospital
5377 Veterans Pkwy Suite B
Columbus, Georgia 31904
706-324-0333

Dr. Maryanne Mack, DVM
Feeding Hills Veterinary Clinic
1194 Springfield Street
Feeding Hills, Massachusetts 01030
413-786-8828

Dr. Mary Moon, DVM
Madison, Georgia 30650
501-519-0182

Dr. Rebekah Mullins, DVM
Covington, Georgia 30014
423-341-4319

Dr. Janice Park, DVM
Columbus, Ohio
832-562-6628

Dr. Junior Saint Preux, DVM
Blue Diamond Animal Hospital
8090 Blue Diamond Rd #100
Las Vegas, Nevada 89178
702-944-8440

Alyssa Shelby, DVM
Kokopelli Assisted Reproductive Services
4325 Auburn Blvd, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95841
916-683-4029

Dr. Simone Stewart, DVM
Northside Animal Hospital
5377 Veterans Pkwy., Suite B
Columbus, Georgia 31904
706-324-0333

Dr. Marvin Urbanczyk, DVM
Block House Creek Animal Hosp.
2200 N. Bell Blvd.
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
512-259-4200

DPCA Position Statement Ear Cropping & Neonatal procedures, Tail docking and dewclaw removal

Historically, the removal of portions of a dog’s tail, tail dock, removal of the first digit of the forelimb, dewclaw removal, and surgical reduction in size of a dog’s ears so that they stand erect, ear cropping, was performed to help the adult dog perform his job functions with less chance for injuries. These simple and minor procedures prevented more serious, painful and potentially life-threatening injuries such as torn dewclaw or broken tail in an adult dog, where bleeding and or infection could be life threatening. Additionally, injury to the adult tail, ear, or dewclaw could be debilitating to the dog, preventing him from performing his job. Today when performed properly these procedures cause very mild and transient discomfort to puppies of appropriate age with very few reported side effects.

Tail docking and dewclaw removal are typically performed on very young puppies, typically at 3-4 days of age. When performed tail docking and dewclaw removal cause only momentary discomfort and puppies quickly go back to nursing and sleeping with their dam. Serious side effects of tail docking and dewclaw removal are rarely reported by veterinarians or breeders.

Ear cropping of Doberman Pinscher puppies is routinely performed under general anesthesia between 7-12 weeks of age by a licensed veterinarian. Modern anesthesia and analgesia are required. When performed by a veterinarian using modern techniques of surgery and analgesia ear cropping is a minor procedure that puppies recover from quickly and are typically back playing and wrestling with litter mates within 12 hours.
The DPCA believes that these common and minor procedures when performed correctly have very little risk to the puppy and only minor transient discomfort that can be adequately treated by modern veterinary practices and their need is still present for the prevention of injury and maintenance of the breed’s standard appearance.