Apparently tattooing pets is a thing. At least, it's popular enough that New York passed a bill on Wednesday banning owners from inking up companion animals. Piercings are off the table, too, according to the bill, which was introduced in 2011 by Linda Rosenthal, an assemblywoman who read an article about pierced "gothic kittens" for sale online, the New York Daily News reports. The kittens being hawked on eBay were pierced down their entire backs, Rosenthal's chief of staff explains to CNN. (The Pennsylvania groomer selling them ended up being convicted of animal cruelty.)
Governor Andrew Cuomo is now expected to sign the bill into law. It grants an exception only for tattooing that serves as a form of identification—though animal rights advocates are pushing "microchipping" as an alternative—or indicates a medical procedure has been carried out. Such tattooing can only be performed by a licensed veterinarian. (Another win for animal lovers in New York: They can now be buried with their pets.)
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