WAYNE RUIZ FROM STOKE HEATH CONVICTED OVER ILLEGAL DOG EAR CROPPING IN COVENTRY

Wayne Carlos Ruiz, a resident of Stoke Heath, Coventry, was found guilty in 2023 of engaging in illegal practices related to the mutilation of dogs’ ears. Born on June 17, 1977, Ruiz, who operates under the alias Roos.XL.Bullys, was involved in arranging and performing unauthorized ear cropping procedures on his dogs, a practice that is strictly prohibited under UK law.

His criminal activities came to light after he posted images of his XL bully dogs on his Instagram account. These images showed the dogs with their ears intact, contradicting the evidence found during police and RSPCA investigations. When authorities executed a search warrant at his residence located at 45 Little Fields, Stoke Heath, Coventry CV2 3HA, they discovered disturbing evidence of his illegal activities. Blood splatters were visible on a wall in the dining room, which investigators believe resulted from dogs shaking their heads after the procedures.

Prior to this, Ruiz had been visited by an RSPCA inspector at his previous address in Nuneaton following a report concerning the condition of his dogs. Inspector Louise Marston, who conducted the visit, noted in her witness statement that she observed two XL bully dogs named Lava and Kong in Ruiz’s garden, both of which had cropped ears. However, photographs posted on Ruiz’s social media just weeks earlier depicted the same dogs with their ears unaltered, raising suspicions about the legality of the procedures.

Following the initial inspection, authorities obtained a search warrant, and on September 28, 2022, a team comprising Inspector Marston, a council dog warden, and police officers raided Ruiz’s home. During the search, an ear splint was recovered, and the blood splatter was confirmed to be from the dogs, likely caused by their shaking their heads after the mutilation. A notebook was also seized, which contained Ruiz’s Instagram profile name, along with a brief family history of each puppy and a handwritten price of £5,500, indicating the commercial aspect of his breeding activities.

Further investigation by the RSPCA’s intelligence unit revealed that the images of Lava and Kong posted on social media, showing their ears intact, were indeed of the same dogs. It was also discovered that Ruiz had deleted several posts, including those showing the dogs as puppies. Contact with the breeder who sold Lava and Kong confirmed that at the time of sale, the dogs did not have cropped ears. The breeder expressed disappointment and concern over how the dogs had been altered.

An expert veterinarian called as a witness for the RSPCA testified that the dogs had suffered due to the ear cropping procedures. The vet emphasized that ear cropping is illegal in the UK and the European Union because it constitutes mutilation. The expert explained that if the procedures had been performed in the UK, they would not have been carried out by registered veterinary surgeons, making the procedures illegal and implying that the dogs did not receive proper pain relief. The veterinarian highlighted that such procedures cause unnecessary pain, suffering, and potential lifelong health and behavioral issues for the animals.

Ruiz pleaded guilty to two offences under the Animal Welfare Act. The court sentenced him to an 18-week prison term, which was suspended for 18 months, and imposed a 15-year ban on owning or keeping animals. Inspector Marston condemned the practice, describing ear cropping as a “horrific, immoral, unnecessary and repulsive” act that offers no benefit to the dogs and can lead to long-term health and behavioral problems. She urged the public and prospective dog owners to be aware that ear cropping is illegal and to consider the severe negative impacts it has on animals’ well-being.