Man Tattoos Pit Bull: Photo Sparks Allegations of Animal Cruelty (PHOTO, VIDEO)
A man has tattooed his pit bull, sparking waves of criticism on the Internet from animal lovers.
The bit bull owner, Ernesto Rodriguez, is a tattoo artist from North Carolina. He recently posted photos of his pet pit bull on his Facebook page showing the dog with a tattoo. The image sparked huge backlash with many saying that the man was guilty of animal cruelty.
The pit bull was apparently about five months old when Rodriguez inked the dog on the stomach. The owner has detailed that he tattooed his dog "Dutches" in his own tattoo parlor he operates in the basement of his own home.
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The tattoo has the dog's name "Dutches" written in black ink across the top of a crest, which Rodriguez describes is related to her bloodline.
Despite the waves of criticism and claims of animal cruelty, Rodriguez has said that the tattoo can be used for identification purposes and was not cruel at all. He highlights how farm animals are branded for identification purposes in the same way. He also claims that tattooing pets is a very common thing among tattoo-loving pet owners.
One website called "petsclan.com" features numerous photos of tattooed pets, which include digs, cats, pigs and even rats. The website also claims that the small tattoos can help for identification purposes. However, many remain skeptical that owners are branding their pets more as a fashion statement than for practical reasons.
Here is a video promoting pet tattooing:
