SASKATCHEWAN, Canada (CBSDC) — Dogs are being neutered by their owners with elastic bands.

The Saskatchewan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals tells CBC News that they have seen at least five cases in which dogs have been neutered at home.

“This is not an acceptable practice in dogs,” Kaley Pugh, the society’s manager of protection services, tells CBC News. “They really do suffer a lot when you do this to them.”

Pugh explains that the elastic band strangles the dog’s testicles, which can lead to serious complications.

The Vancouver Sun reports that the dogs suffered from bleeding and rotting tissue from this type of neutering, causing life-threatening injuries.

“It made me really sad and it’s unfortunate that animals have to go through this,” Pugh told CBC News, adding that owners that get caught doing this can face criminal charges.

The elastic bands being used on the dogs are primarily used to neuter livestock.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, based in Virginia, promotes the safe neutering of dogs which helps to control overpopulation.