Man Tattoos Puppy!

[cynatnite]

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A North Carolina man has sparked controversy among animal lovers after he tattooed his puppy’s belly and posted a photo of the tattoo on Facebook last week.

Ernesto Rodriguez, an army veteran, says he tattooed his 4-month-old pit bull mix for identification purposes. Duchess the puppy and his other dog, Duke, have the same intricate tattoo.

Duchess pit bull tattoo"They both have it. They both have their tattoos on them just in case anything happens to them," Rodriguez told CNN.

Critics say Rodriguez posted the photo to the Planet Ink Tattoo Facebook page to publicize the tattoo parlor he ran out of his basement, and they argue that his story about inking Duchess doesn’t add up.

Rodriguez claims that he gave the dog the tattoo after taking her to the vet to have her ears clipped.

"I took her to the shop, tattooed her, and she slept the rest of the day," he said.

More at the link:

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/man-tattoos-puppy-faces-backlash

[get the red out]

1. Neither procedure was necessary

The ear clipping nor the tattoo. I can understand a small, identifying tattoo to try to ensure you don't become permanently separated from your pet, but for vanity, I don't see it as a good thing to do to one's dog.

That being said, I would much rather save any serious trashing for people who do purposeful harm to animals. This guy seems to love and care for his dogs, so he might just be a bit misguided. There is so much major harm done to innocent pets that I will save my worst wrath for those people.

[baldguy]

17. Then you're looking to criticize people who support breed bans & BSLs.

[get the red out]

22. I hate animal abusers

People who intentionally harm innocent animals, or neglect them. I think we need legislation nationally that provides much harsher penalties than currently exist for these monsters.

I think an absolute ban on dogfighting that provided really harsh penalties, even for those viewing a fight, or for any evidence at all of keeping and training dogs for fighting, would go a long way toward helping Pit Bulls, in particular. Maybe then BSL would become less of an option in people's minds. It's a very human problem, dog fighters need serious penalties IMO. The people who abuse dogs, and cause them to react poorly from that abuse, need to be in prison.

Ever since we got our dog I have really awakened to the horrible treatment so many pets receive. I feel so much affection for animals, especially dogs, that when I see one I just feel love for it, no matter whose it is or what it looks like. Of course I'm crazy beyond reason for my own.

[gopiscrap]

2. Animal abuse!

[Brickbat]

3. Tattoo bad, ear clipping OK.

[cui bono]

14. Nope. Ear cropping is not okay either. Nor is tail docking.

Unfortunately, some people decided what dogs should look like.

As an aside, I wonder how many bible thumpers are involved in dog breeding and showing? Why are they altering what their god created to their own liking?

[OneGrassRoot]

16. Great points. n/t

[cali]

24. When I was a kid we had a springer spaniel

My mom wanted to have his tail docked and my dad refused. That dog swept more stuff off of coffee tables and benches. It was hilarious.

[baldguy]

15. Not really.

Clipping ears & docking tails ... never a good thing.

[NightWatcher]

4. What, he couldn't find a branding iron?

[HappyMe]

5. Eesh.

I will never understand why people have to have ears and tails hacked up. That is far more offensive to me than the tattoo.

[Quantess]

27. They look meaner and tougher with clipped ears.

That could be the reason why...

[HappyMe]

29. Good grief.

Imo, leave the poor ears alone.

[jorno67]

6. That man is an Idiot!

His dogs should piss on him everyday - for "identification purposes".

[get the red out]

11. Love it

That would work for the dogs! I'm glad my dog hasn't thought of that, she's rather possessive.

[jmowreader]

7. Scratching my head...

Tattooing dogs is terrible horrible doubleplusungood, but tattooing human beings in your basement is fine?

[baldguy]

13. The humans can say "no".

[jmowreader]

23. The real world interjects...

Where do you think high schoolers get their tattoos from in states that don't allow minors to be tattooed? Umm...from scratchers who operate out of their basements and kitchens?

[Quantess]

25. Teenagers can also say "no".

Dogs don't think tattoos are cool. Dogs don't care. They do feel the discomfort just the same, though.

[Orrex]

8. Poor dog will probably turn all violent and aggressive as a result

Unlike all other pit bulls, which are sweet and harmless little angels straight from heaven.

[winter is coming]

9. An RFID chip would have been more humane and more useful.

But then he wouldn't get to tout his tattoo-parlor-in-his-basement business.

[baldguy]

10. What an asshole.

This isn't for "identification", it's for his own vanity. Dogs are not fashion accessories. And RFID chip would have done the same thing better; winter is coming is correct.

[cui bono]

12. I wish this wouldn't get publicized.

This is from a little while ago. Let's just bury it. How many a-holes are going to tattoo their dogs now after seeing this? I've heard of ID numbers tattooed on them but this is just for show. And I'm sure the dog really wanted to sit for a tattoo like that, that takes a bit of time, right after she got her ears unnecessarily cropped. (notice how they say "clipped" in the story like it's no big deal)

[RudynJack]

18. Agreed

I'm in favor of a law allowing dog tattoos only when the owner is spayed/neutered.

[olddots]

19. was this the same guy who tryed to milk his cat ?

[cui bono]

20. Okay, so this is from April 1 and the rest of the story is about backlash.

Why did you post this? You seem to have included only the "positive" parts of the article and shortened the headline to leave out the backlash part. Here's some of the rest:

But animal advocate Caleb Scott, who serves on the North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare board, says Rodriguez’s story is suspicious.

"Usually, when you pick up a dog or cats they're already awake after the procedure. They don't usually hand you over a dog that is asleep," Scott added. "On his first Facebook post he said he was bored and tattooing. I think now he's backpedaling, saying he's identifying it."

But Rodriquez says he loves his dogs as if they were his children and insists he tattooed Duchess while she was asleep.

The photo he posted to Facebook earned him criticism from users across the country, as well as a visit from the Stokes County Health Department, which shut down Planet Ink Tattoo because it violated local zoning laws.

Good. At least his basement tattoo shop got shut down.

He got paid a visit by Animal Control but didn't get charged with animal cruelty.

[LostOne4Ever]

21. Im not too supportive of this

I get the need for an identifying tatoo, but beyond that this seems a bit cruel.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. Has anyone asked the question as to why people who do shit like this are drawn to pit bulls?

Seriously?

[roody]

28. If you want to cut some ears off, cut your own!

Ear cutting is cruel.

[ScreamingMeemie]

30. Two of my cats (sisters) have identifying tats on their tummies.

But, it was done for a reason. They were fixed. They are less likely to be killed here in the shelter (which is over run with cats) right away if they've been identified as fixed. The Houston ASPCA tattoos all cats/dogs that are fixed, and that's where I got them fixed.

This, however, a bit over the line. Why didn't he just chip them?