Outrage erupts over Irina Shayk's Vogue photoshoot featuring doberman with cropped ears
LONDON, UNITED KINGDON: Vogue magazine has faced backlash over a photo shoot that features Irina Shayk alongside a Doberman with cropped ears. The photographs in the British edition apparently showed that the animal had its ears "cropped," which is a procedure that makes a dog's ears grow erect.
Reflecting on the photo shoot, animal welfare group Peta accused Vogue of promoting pet mutilation. ‘It's totally out of touch to encourage people to acquire dogs who have been subjected to painful mutilation of their sensitive ears, which is illegal in the UK, except when medically necessary,’ a Peta spokesman told DailyMail, adding ‘Peta asks Vogue to address this misstep by apologizing for the error and letting readers know that dogs 'talk' with their ears, and that cutting parts of them off not only is traumatic but also robs them of a vital means of expression, communication, and balance.'
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What British Vogue said in response to the backlash?
The spokesperson continued by noting that the photoshoot promotes a ‘message that animals are mere fashion accessories, rather than living, feeling beings to be respected'. According to Daily Mail, British Vogue soon responded to Peta’s accusations and said, "We thank Peta for raising this issue with us and for the work they do protecting animals around the world. The photoshoot took place in New York City and is a feature shared with British Vogue from the US, where the practice is legal."
Ear cropping is illegal in England and Wales under Section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It is a painful procedure where the tips or significant portions of the dog's outer ears are surgically removed or changed. However, animal charities have witnessed an upsurge in the illegal process in recent years. According to RSPCA, mutilation had risen by 1,243 percent from 2015 to 2021. Experts believe a reason for the trend is that celebrities are sharing photographs of their own ear-cropped dogs on social media.
Similar Incident
This is not the first time that Vogue has come under fire over its questionable magazine covers. Earlier, Vogue was slammed over a fashion shoot that featured Florence Pugh posing with a dead fish. The 27-year-old sported various different outfits for Vogue’s winter issue. The picture in question shows Pugh wearing an ivory sleeveless dress while holding a massive fish like it’s an accessory.
The picture soon garnered immense backlash, and animal advocacy organization Direct Action Everywhere called out the magazine for her seemingly insensitive stance towards sentient beings, according to Total Vegan Buzz. “Animals are not objects to be used as props,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post, adding, "Fishes are sentient beings who feel pain and suffer just like us.” A flood of comments criticized the commodification of animals and the implicit meaning of the photo.
