Vogue magazine is facing a backlash over a recent photoshoot that featured Russian supermodel Irina Shayk alongside a Doberman with cropped ears. Animal welfare activists from PETA are now demanding an apology from the magazine, accusing it of promoting the mutilation of dogs.
PETA objects to the practice of ‘cropping’ – a procedure that causes a dog’s ears to grow upright. The group noted that the practice is outlawed in the UK. However, although the photographs did appear in the British edition of Vogue, the photoshoot itself was done in New York, where no such law exists.
Nevertheless, a PETA spokesperson told The Mail that “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.”
The organization has requested that Vogue “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.”
The spokesperson also suggested that Vogue’s latest photoshoot sends a message that animals are “mere accessories, rather than living, feeling beings to be respected.”
British Vogue responded by thanking PETA for “raising this issue” and for “the work they do protecting animals around the world” but explained that the photoshoot took place in New York City where the practice is legal.
The magazine has previously faced pushback over its covers. As recently as January, Vogue was slammed for a fashion shoot featuring Florence Pugh posing with a dead fish. Animal advocacy groups blasted the magazine for being insensitive towards sentient beings. “Animals are not objects to be used as props,” claimed Direct Action Everywhere, stating that “fishes are sentient beings who feel pain and suffer just like us.”