A troubling practice is behind this increasingly popular look for pups.

“Cropping,” or the practice of cutting dogs’ ears, is illegal in the UK and in some parts of the US. But a new investigation by the BBC has found that rising demand for dogs with the style is pushing breeders to perform the cosmetic procedure anyway. 

To achieve what one breeder described to an undercover reporter as the “striking” look for dogs of the American bully breed, a part of the ear flap is removed. The look may seem adorable to some owners, but animal-rights activists say the surgery can cause physical and psychological damage to the canines, hence it being banned under the UK’s Animal Welfare Act.

“Whenever celebrities post things online, people inevitably think, ‘Oh that dog looks nice. Maybe I’ll get one like that,’ ” said Vanessa Waddon of the charity Hope Rescue. She called out “Love Island’s” Jack Fincham, singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock and soccer player Marcus Rashford as some stars who’ve posted images of dogs who appear to have cropped ears. “While [the celebrities] may have imported the dogs legally, there are people cropping illegally in the UK to meet demand.”

In the US, cropping is illegal in nine states and only allowed by a “licensed veterinarian while the dog is under an anesthetic” in Connecticut, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York and Pennsylvania, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

But the procedure is a “mutilation” done exclusively “for status. There are no health benefits to these dogs at all,” former president of the British Veterinary Association Daniella Dos Santos told the BBC.

“Some animals then go on to develop infections or don’t like people touching their ears,” Paula Boyden of the group Dogs Trust explained to the BBC of ear-cropping consequences. “We’ve also seen behavior issues because dogs communicate with their ears, and without them they may have difficulty in doing that with their owners or other dogs.”