Several men appeared in Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with illegally cropping dogs’ ears.Michael Maiato, 32, from Pembroke, Paul Almeida, 37, from St George’s and David Burrows, 44, from Sandys each pleaded not guilty to a single count of cropping, or having someone other than an unlicensed veterinarian, crop the ears of a dog between an unknown date and November 24.They each also denied causing undue pain and suffering to an animal on the same date. In all three cases, the dog was a Cão Fila de São Miguel, also known as a São Miguel Cattle Dog.The Crown said that while the dates and breed of the dog was identical in all three charged, the charges relate to three separate animals and three separate incidents.All three defendants were released on $1,000 bail and given separate trial dates in late September.The cropping of a dog’s ears involves the removal of part or all of the dog’s external ear. The practice was originally performed to protect the animal’s ears from being bitten or torn in a fight, but is now more frequently done for cosmetic reasons. Cropping has been banned in several countries, including the UK, with exceptions for certain working breeds.