‘Listen Up!’ Sam Asghari Challenges Westminster to Ban Ear Mutilations From Dog Show
For Immediate Release:
January 23, 2026
Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382
Ahead of the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, Sam Asghari sent a letter today to Kennel Club President Donald Sturz calling on him to ban dogs with cropped ears from the event. The actor, model, and dog defender also stars with his own dog Porsha in an ear-resistible new PETA campaign warning about the dangers of ear cropping.
The painful and unnecessary cosmetic procedure is commonly performed on Dobermans, Great Danes, boxers, pit bulls, and other breeds. In an accompanying video spot, Asghari explains, “Ear cropping involves hacking off the majority of the ear, which is full of nerves and extremely sensitive, and taping up the remnant into the unnatural shape”—which can lead to infections, scarring, and long-term complications. The procedure is carried out on puppies who are just six to 12 weeks old, whose ears must then be bandaged, stretched, taped, and re-bandaged repeatedly for weeks or months to force them to stay upright. Since dogs use their ears for communication, cutting them off can also limit their ability to “talk” to each other and to their human family members; as Asghari says, “Porsha’s natural ears help so much to define her personality.”
“Slicing off a two-month-old puppy’s ears just to achieve a particular look is cruel and disgusting, and no caring person would do it to their dog,” says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. “PETA urges Westminster Kennel Club to stop promoting these mutilations and ban them from its show.”
Ear cropping is banned in many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, parts of Canada, and nearly all of Europe. Yet the American Kennel Club—whose breed standards are followed by Westminster—continues to promote ear mutilation as part of its standard for multiple dog breeds, despite the American Veterinary Medical Association’s opposition.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
PETA’s letter to Sturz follows.
Dear Mr. Sturz,
Five years ago, I welcomed a sweet Doberman named Porsha into my family, floppy ears and all. When presented with the option to crop her ears, I was horrified. I couldn’t imagine voluntarily putting her through excruciating pain, many long-term health risks, and the inability to fully express herself—all for the sake of “a look.” I love Porsha exactly as she is.
It saddens me to see so many dogs of the same breed with mutilated ears, which is why I’m asking you to prohibit cropped ears in the Westminster Dog Show. It’s impossible to justify a cosmetic procedure that causes real suffering and provides zero benefit to the dog.
Westminster is one of the most influential stages in the dog world. What happens in that ring doesn’t stay there; it shapes public behavior. Allowing this inhumane practice sends the message that cropped ears are normal and even desirable.
You don’t have to perpetuate this harm. Please protect dogs and celebrate them as they are by removing cropped ears from the breed standards and banning them from competition. Bring this cruelty to an end.
On behalf of dogs everywhere,
Sam Asghari
