CONVICTED (2023) | “puppy butcher” Henry Chrystal, born c. 1989, of Tillycairn Drive, Garthamlock, Glasgow G33 – failed to treat his puppies’ mutilated ears.
In January 2023 Chrystal pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to puppies Donut and Dumpling through failing to provide veterinary treatment for injuries caused by a prohibited procedure, namely ear cropping.
A Scottish SPCA Special Investigation Unit (SIU) inspector involved in the case said they were alerted by a member of the public.
He said: “Both dogs had injuries to their ears. The wounds were red, crusted and looked recent.
“We immediately removed the dogs due to concerns for their welfare and took them to one of our centres to be examined by a vet. The vet examined their wounds and found they were still in a stage of healing and appeared to cause some discomfort when touched.
“This illegal procedure would have caused these puppies considerable pain and discomfort, for purely cosmetic reasons.
“The procedures are likely to have taken several minutes and there will have been a lot of bleeding. Both puppies were then left in chronic pain until they received the care they needed at our centre.”
The inspector said Chrystal had claimed he had owned the puppies for two weeks and that their ears were already cropped when he received them. He claimed they were given to him ‘on breeder’s terms’, meaning he would keep them as a pet until the breeder required them back for breeding.
When asked why he hadn’t sought veterinary treatment for the puppies he said that he didn’t take them to the vet because they were ‘not his dogs to take to the vet’. Both pups have been rehomed.
Sentencing | 40-day restriction of liberty order. Two-year ban on keeping animals (expires January 2025).
Additional Information
Henry Chrystal’s brother is Andrew William Stuart Chrystal, born 3 April 1998, and according to the 2022 public electoral roll living at Townend Farm, Kilsyth, Glasgow G65 0QE. Andrew Chrystal is sole director of Dog Food Bull Brand Ltd, which was founded in September 2022.
He and partner Melissa Brodie, born 11 September 1998 and a nursery nurse at Happy Days Nursery in Kirkintilloch, also breed and sell dogs – their ears routinely cropped – under the trading name Variety Bulls or VBulls. Facebook page here. Instagram profile here.
Andrew Chrystal is an associate of Thomas Rayment, a county lines drug gang leader, and Ryan Howard, who were exposed in a 2023 BBC Panorama investigation into extreme breeders (available on the iPlayer or via the YouTube link below). Rayment and Howard own and run Muscletone Bullys, a canine fertility clinic based in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
Variety Bulls’ Instagram profile is private but here’s a selection of images from the various Facebook profiles. No words needed
We now understand that the two puppies for which Henry Chrystal was convicted were actually bred and (allegedly) mutilated by Variety Bulls. This being the case, it would seem that the wrong brother was prosecuted and the authorities now need to take a close look at Andrew Chrystal, assuming he’s not already on their radar.
Crop his ears without pain relief and leave him
Suffering !
Piece of dog crap
Looks like Scotland news and police are full of crap this is complete BS! How about instead of trying to arrest people for doing things that they’re not doing you go find some men or women who have called someone or text them 15 times in a row and call them a stalker and bring them up on charges. This is almost as bad as the democrats in America. Throw it at the wall and see if it sticks? Nice going Scotland!