In New York, it just became a crime to tattoo or pierce your pet, Chron reported on Monday.
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal said it was cruel to make your pets endure body modifications. The Manhattan Democrat sponsored the legislation and said that companion animals can't choose whether or not to modify their bodies like humans can.
The law will now take 120 days to take effect after being signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The exception to the law would be for medical or identification purposes under the care of a veterinarian.
"This is animal abuse, pure and simple," Cuomo said, according to the New York Daily News. "I'm proud to sign this common-sense legislation and outlaw these cruel and unacceptable practices once and for all in New York."
These markings are intended for cats, for example, who are given a little green marking to show they were spayed by the vet, Rosenthal said. In these instances, the law states that tattoos should only contain the numbers and letters needed for an identification roster.
The law left out ear tags on rabbits and guinea pigs and does not cover that type of marking.
The initiative gained attention earlier this year after a tattoo artist in Brooklyn posted a photo of his dog with a tattoo on Instagram, causing a social media firestorm before it was taken down. The dog was sporting a heart-shaped tatoo with an arrow through it with the words "Alex" and "Mel" written on ribbons.
