A Brooklyn tattoo artist who posted a photo of his sedated, tattooed Pitbull-mix sparked outrage in New York, prompting the city to ban tattoos and piercings on pets.
The legislation to ban body modification on animals for aesthetic purposes was signed on Monday and will take effect in 120 days.
Alexander Avgerakis, aka 'Mistah Metro,' the Brooklyn artist who triggered the movement to have the law passed in New York, said that his dog, Zion, was put under sedation for a procedure with the vet to have its spleen removed. While the dog was under the anesthetic, the vet allowed him to tattoo his pet with a heart and arrow, and the names "Alex" and "Mel" on banners.
"My dog is cooler than yours," he posted on his instagram account, along with a photo of his newly tattooed dog back in March. The photo has since been deleted.
However, many felt that the tattoo was nothing less than animal abuse. The American Veterinary Medical Association has policies against tattooing pets because "it is not good for the dog," and Manhattan Democrat Assembly member, Linda Rosenthal, called it "cruel."
Rosenthal sponsored the legislation to ban tattoos and piercings on animals and it was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
According to the governor's office, the penalties for doing body modifications on pets range from 15 days jail time and fines up to $250.
Exemptions to the rule are tattoos performed under veterinary supervision for identification and medical purposes and should only include letters and numbers. ID tags for rabbits and guinea pigs are also permissible under the law.
New York is not the only State to pass legislation against tattooing and piercing pets. In 2011, a woman in Pennsylvania was piercing kitten's ears and marketing them as "Goth" cats. This prompted the state to pass Rosenthal's bill.
A similar law was also introduced in New Jersey over the summer.
