Guardia Civil detains 14 in operation Goscan over illegal cosmetic dog ear and tail amputations across Spain
Guardia Civil operation Goscan dismantled a Spain-wide network selling dogs with illegal cosmetic ear and tail amputations, detaining 14 people and investigating 6 more after a mastiff treated in Caceres exposed forged Russian veterinary certificates.
How the investigation began
A mastiff treated at a veterinary hospital in Caceres due to an unrelated medical condition was found to have recent amputations on its ears and tail. When vets asked for an explanation, the owner produced a certificate claiming the surgeries had been carried out in Russia, where such cosmetic practices remain legal. Investigators contacted Russian authorities, who confirmed the document was forged. That single dog led the Guardia Civil to a breeding facility in Alicante and, from there, to a nationwide network.
The network and its methods
Operation Goscan, conducted by the Guardia Civil, has placed 20 people at the disposal of the judiciary: 14 detained and 6 under investigation. They face charges of crimes against animals, labor intrusion, and document falsification. The organization operated from a breeding facility in Alicante, led by its owner, her partner, and a friend of both, who was also detained. In a first phase, three people were detained: the mastiff's owner and the two breeding facility managers. Investigators then uncovered a wider structure.
- Guardia Civil reports 14 detained and 6 investigated in operation Goscan
- Italian mastiff treated at veterinary hospital in Caceres; recent ear and tail amputations detected
- Three detained: mastiff owner and two breeding facility managers in Alicante
- Network widened to 20 people, including nine clients who requested surgeries
The network sold dogs and negotiated ear and tail cuts with buyers according to their aesthetic preferences. To conceal the illegality, the breeders provided buyers with falsified documentation suggesting the amputations had been performed legally abroad. They also sent buyers instructional videos showing how to care for the wounds caused by the surgeries. Both sellers and buyers were aware the mutilations were illegal.
A colluding veterinarian
A licensed veterinarian actively collaborated with the network, supplying the breeding facility owner with blank official passports and booklets that had been pre-signed and stamped. With these documents in hand, the facility owner filled in the data herself and manually implanted microchips into litters, despite holding no veterinary qualification. The network maintained a high volume of activity, including the export and sale of animals in Mexico.
- Detained
- 14
- Investigated (not detained)
- 6
Clients among the detained
Nine of the 14 detained were clients who purchased intact puppies and subsequently decided to subject them to the surgeries on their own initiative. The practice of cosmetic ear and tail amputation, once common in certain breeds, was banned in Spain in 2018. Police proceedings have been sent to the competent judicial authority in Novelda, Alicante.
