Tattooing and piercing pets is cruel and should be illegal, according to Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal, who is sponsoring a bill to outlaw the practice.
Rosenthal introduced the bill in 2011 after she learned of a woman selling kittens online.
“Those kittens had been pierced on the face, on the neck and down the length of the spine. ... She was selling them as gothic kittens,” Rosenthal said.
“I did a little more research. ... I learned that it’s much more commonplace than one would think,” she added.
A recent case involving a Brooklyn tattoo artist who inked his dog has added to the bill’s importance, Rosenthal said.
“Why should an animal be subject to the owner’s whims in terms of how the owner wants to ‘decorate’ the animal? It’s really horrible,” Rosenthal said.
Tattooing pets could potentially be considered illegal under animal cruelty laws, but Rosenthal said she wanted to make the ban explicit.
The Humane Society of New York supports the bill, according to Sandra DeFeo, executive director of the society.
Animals should only be tattooed for a medical reason, such as identification, DeFeo said.
“If you have a medical reason to do it, you say the medical outweighs the risk because you’re trying to make an animal better or you’re trying to help an animal,” DeFeo said.
But cosmetic tattooing has no benefit, according to DeFeo.
“An animal doesn’t necessarily think ‘Oh, I want to have a tattoo of a star on my shoulder.’ ... You’re imposing your will on them to do that,” DeFeo said.
Sedation risks must be considered, too, DeFeo said.
“Sedation shouldn’t be taken lightly. ...When you have anesthesia ... there’s always risks involved," DeFeo said.
The bill has bipartisan support and could pass when the legislative session ends, near June, Rosenthal said.
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