NYers: No More Tattoos or Piercings on Your Pets

We've all heard stories of bizarre laws in the books, but many a time it's safe to suspect that these laws were a product of the times (and the times have been weird), but not always: In what could, at first glance, seem like a really strange bill to pass, Gov. Cuomo signed a law banning pet tattoos and piercings in New York on Monday.

Resist the urge to roll your eyes just yet, because this law seems to have been necessary — Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal introduced the bill in 2011 after she read of a woman selling kittens with piercings on their necks, ears, and spines, labeling them "Gothic kittens," reported New York Daily News. But the bill really gained traction earlier this year, after a Brooklyn tattoo artist, Mistah Metro, tattooed his sedated pitbull, post-surgery, and posted a picture of it on Instagram with the caption: "One of the many reasons my dog is cooler than your(s)! She had her spleen removed today and the vet let me tattoo her while she was under."

It went viral, obviously, and caused an outpour of Internet rage and vitriol. Metro later deleted his social media accounts, reported the New York Post.

Cuomo told the Daily News:

This is animal abuse, pure and simple. I’m proud to sign this common-sense legislation and outlaw these cruel and unacceptable practices once and for all in New York.

The law will take effect in 120 days. Violators face up to 15 days imprisonment and $250 in fines, Reuters reported. The law makes the distinction between tags and markings on pets for identification or medical purposes, and those — as Metro did — for cosmetic reasons. Rosenthal said in a press release:

While people can decide whether they would like to undergo the pain associated with a tattoo or piercing, animals do not have that luxury. Subjecting animals to painful cosmetic procedures, such as tattooing and piercing, merely to satisfy an individual’s misguided and selfish aesthetic predilections, is inhumane and should be considered cruelty by the law.

According to Reuters, the Manhattan Democrat also said:

Though it may seem inconceivable that anyone would tattoo or pierce their dog or cat, a quick Internet search reveals that it is a growing trend among some misguided individuals.

While common sense dictates that some things you just know not to do, the workings of the human brain sometimes exceed even the most basic of tenets of accepted behavior. And, such as in this case, that's where the law has to step in — to prevent people from doing embarrassingly obtuse and potentially harmful things.

Now you can roll your eyes.

Images: Getty Images (2)