127 thoughts on “Lost (and Tattooed) Dog :(”

  4. perfect reason to have tattooed the dog before hand.. you cant just rub that off… good luck in finding your dog!!

  7. Awh! This makes me sad. Im sitting here with my dog and if she were to ever dissapear I would be crushed. I hope you find her!

  11. Good Luck in finding Roxxxie!!
    I’ve had 3 cats run away/get stolen and it’s a horrible panicky feeling.
    And I LOVE her tattoo. Just had a bit of a chuckle at all the outraged comments on the original Roxxxie entry.

  12. awwww I would help look for her but being in China and all kind of complicates things. I hope they find her!

  13. I don’t know, that’s kind of ironic.

    Run a picture of a dog with a tattoo, it’s justified by saying “if the dog gets lost…..”, and here, less than a year later doggy goes AWOL.

  14. i fucking love jack russels…thats why i have one!
    i love my punky!
    goos luck findin your pup!
    hope you got her microchipped
    they find a pet that way every 8 minutes in the US according to Homeagain

  16. i think it’s so unethical to tattoo/pierce a being who can not give consent with a full understanding of the situation.

    but good luck finding the pooch.

  17. a tattooed dog? that’s what microchips are for.

    poor dog. for the fact that it’s lost and had to be tattooed.

  20. oh poor puppy 🙁
    and for all those crazy activists read “was done at vet, under anestesia” obviosly not illegal if the vet would let u do it and its there dog not yours

  21. The dog had anesthesia, and you all should know damn well that once a tattoo is finished the pain is VERY minimal, unlike some of the microchip inplants. The owner took precautions and went about it in a responsible way, dont bitch about THAT when there are people out there who daily beat and sometimes even rape their pets. Tattooing your pet is so far down on that totem. OH and don’t bitch about a small tattoo on a dog when you probably had KFC for lunch…

  22. TeaDream – i don’t apologize for being a person with ethics, however sarcastic and “cmon dont be so serious maaan” the comments may get.

    it’s totally unacceptable, and as Giles Wallwork mentioned above is “obvious abuse”.

  23. Cue human superiority complex based apathy for any being that cant articulate disapproval, hey if it cant SAY no it must be willing right?

    I’d of run away too if I woke up and my “friend” tattooed a frigging hello kitty face on my stomach.

    sincerely though, best of luck finding your dog.

  24. the vet should have known better…just because something isn’t illegal doesn’t mean it’s ethical, there are many instances where the two terms do not come together, Smash. im sure you can think of a few off the top of your head.

    just because someone else treats a pet worse doesn’t mean treating a pet ‘less worse’ is something not to ‘bitch’ about. abuse is abuse and it’s not easy to compare two types and compare how much more damage one does over the other – it’s subjective and can only be assessed on a case by case basis.

    and in no way is tattooing a dog is ‘responsible’ behavior. give me a break.

  26. Sorry to jump on the objective bandwagon…

    #21

    Pain is not only subjective, but most likely very different between humans and dogs. I don’t know about you, but the tattoos I’ve had don’t magically stop hurting the minute the needle leaves the skin. In fact, they’ve all been quite sore and uncomfortable to put pressure on for a while afterwards. For a dog, who has to sleep on it’s stomach (where I’m assuming the tattoo was placed), I’m sure that might have been painful enough, not to mention the crazy itching that comes a couple of days later! Imagine that for a dog?!

    Unneccessary comsmetic pain inflicted upon a creature whom does not feel benefit from it, just so its owner can walk around and say “Dude, look my dog’s got a ‘hello kitty’ tattoo, how cool!”, does not seem like the best idea to me, and doesn’t really demonstrate the owner’s love for the dog in my opinion.

    I do sympathise, as losing a pet isn’t nice…

    But if I were that dog, I’d probably run away too.

  28. It looks like the pooch ran away for a good reason.

    That’s pretty disgusting that a dog owner would partake in such an activity, let alone a veterinarian allowing this to happen in their office. It’s one thing when a cognisant human makes the choice to modify his or her own body. Go nuts, you’re in control of your own body and possess the ability to weigh your options. Dogs and other animals are not capable of making a choice that will influence their life, they look to humans as their caregivers. It’s wholly irresponsible for an owner to needlessly subject an animal to possible infection, irritation, and certainly pain.

    I’m a huge fan of body modification, but not when it comes down to animal cruelty masquerading as a fashion accessory by a reckless owner.

  29. “dont bitch about THAT when there are people out there who daily beat and sometimes even rape their pets.”

    Well then, everything is fine !

  30. I also know that my shepherd would kill me if I tattoed on her a Hello Kitty.. she’s not exactly a cat fan.

  31. “The dog is better off lost if it means it isn’t subjected to its owner’s obvious abuse. ”

    Troof.

  32. Okay I would agree that ‘there outta be a law about that’ and yes if it came down too it there is no way anyone could convince me to do that to my dog, who is chipped by the way.

    I have to disagree with the – thankfully not dominant – sentiment that it is a good thing that the dog is lost because of what the owner did. It is entirely possible that someone whom was thinking this took the dog, though there are other more likely senarios.

    Ultimately, while the issue is slightly subjective it is definitely serious enough that it cant be summed up with short sarcastic remarks of any kind.

  33. Ladies, please. The AKC RECOMMENDS tattoos or microchips as a backup to the ID tag attached to the collar.

  34. #32

    Are they also giving suggestions of ‘Hello Kitty’, ‘Pokemon’ or ‘My little pony’ as means of “cute” identification?

  35. No, Hanargh, they don’t recommend any specific tattoo at all. A tattoo is a tattoo, and it’s going to be easy to identify no matter what it is. Besides, everyone seems to be getting all sore about the PROCESS of tattooing a dog.

  36. Wow, is there a lot of stupid going on in here. The tattoo looks to be less than an inch across and the dog is now INSTANTLY recognizable by anyone with functioning eyes. Lots of people don’t even know about microchips, much less take strays to a vet where they can be checked. It’s ridiculous to pretend there’s some sort of massive ethical lapse, much less abuse, going on here.

  37. “The dog had anesthesia, and you all should know damn well that once a tattoo is finished the pain is VERY minimal, unlike some of the microchip inplants. The owner took precautions and went about it in a responsible way, dont bitch about THAT when there are people out there who daily beat and sometimes even rape their pets. Tattooing your pet is so far down on that totem. OH and don’t bitch about a small tattoo on a dog when you probably had KFC for lunch…”

    Agreeing, here.

  38. maybe not done…

    didn’t have KFC for lunch. and while many people may not know about microchips, many, if not most, vets do. though, the level of competency of this particular vet is questionable, so who knows?

    moot point anyways, this isn’t about ID.

  39. there are far worse things to do to a dog than give him a tiny tattoo, like obvious abuse and neglect. and you are forgetting that many people crop their dogs ears or make their tails short, how much pain would that be for them? my dog has a small identification number tattooed on her and she was fine. horses get lip tattooes all the time, or branded. what about that? if your going to bring up this issue then tackle the whole thing. A few tattoos on some animals comes with minimal pain. Why dont we talk about how we slaughter animals like cows, chickens, and pigs, or round up wild horses to be shot and the issues with that. Leave the small stuff alone.

  40. You guys are all like OMG IF THE VET DID IT IT’S OBVIOUSLY LEGAL.

    If you read a little closer, the owner did it him/herself at the vet. That doesn’t make it any more “legal” or humane.

  41. #37 how do you know it wasn’t done for ID?

    A hello kitty tattoo is a lot more unique than a big black number, which is still VERY common as an identifier on dogs. It was done under sedation, most microchips aren’t even done under sedation! (I should know, I’ve implanted hundreds) Who the hell made ya’ll judge and jury? That dog no doubt LOVES his people, just as they love him. It’s no worse than the pain recovering from having his balls chopped off his body, and I’m sure ya’ll are gung-ho for that!

  42. thank you number 35
    and #22 you are right ethical and legal dont always mix, but its not your or even my dog so who are we to judge.
    and my cat, tell me plz how this is different has a barcode tattooed in her ear for identification, is this different than a tattooed figure that actually has meaning to the owner. and i am not expert on ear tattoos but i would imagine a stomach tattoo would hurt much less
    just my 2 cense

  43. Looks to me like the tat would only be visible if someone shaved the dog’s belly …

  44. #37

    …In case you didn’t notice….this IS about ID. This entry is about a lost dog, and only a lost dog. If you want to bitch about how unethical it is to tattoo a dog , and I do agree that in most cases it is unethical, then go to the original entry and do that. So get off your high horse, and if it really bothers you so much, write to your local representative or otherwise work toward the creation of a law that would ban getting tattoo done on a pet, and make a real difference instead of wasting your time doing nothing but causing trouble online.

  45. kristin ~ jack russell’s don’t have very furry bellies. it would show.

    and regarding tattoos versus the chips… my dog’s chip seemed to itch for him a hell of a lot more during healing than my tattoos ever have. also the cut left at the injection site is just HUGE.

  46. Whether or not it hurt is irrelevent. The fact is that an animal is unable to request or consent to such an act and therefore doing it without such consent is in complete violation to its rights.

    Would you like to be tattooed with some crap whilst under anaesthetic against your will?

  47. Giles, I’m moving in a couple of weeks. Should I check to see if the cats like the new apartment before I go? Because, y’know, tearing them out of their homes without their consent would violate their rights.

    I’m just going to assume that second sentence is a joke, there, okay? Thanks.

  48. They don’t consent to getting their shots, either. Or, really, any kind of medical intervention of any kind, ever. Or being kept inside, where they can’t be hit by cars, kidnapped, or attacked by other animals. I didn’t ask them for consent for any of those things, because asking for consent from an animal is a completely idiotic concept from start to finish.

    Seriously, that HAD to be a joke.

  49. I see nothing wrong with tattooing a dog’s belly.
    I think owner done tattoo proper way.
    I hope the dog get found and go back to home.

  50. Ignoring stupid BS of people trashing the owners and just sending in hope the dog is found soon. Lost two animals (Cat and dog) myself. Figuring people scooped up both to keep them. Cat was chipped, but never got any contact about anything for him when he vanished so.. Who knows.

  51. 43 – Getting shots is neccessary. Tattooing a fucking hello kitty? not so much

  52. If it’s not your dog, shut the fuck up. Your opinions are just that, opinions. Not everyone’s is going to be the same and no one is going to change their stance on a subject from anything you say. Don’t worry about anyone else’s life except your own. Don’t try to push your morals on someone else, there’s enough of that with religion.

    I don’t care either way that the dog was tattooed because the dog wasn’t mine. I have never/will never tattoo any of my animals but that doesn’t change my stance on leave this person the fuck alone unless you’re helping to find the dog.

    I hope for a safe return.

  55. #40

    I’m not sure how you can justify or compare your itching to your dog’s unless you’ve entered his/her mind.

    Just because it doesn’t scratch 24/7 does not mean it’s not itching.

    Anyway, I think that’s my lot for now.

    I honestly do hope the dog is found, but maybe give it a bone or something rather than a welcome home tattoo.

  56. beg pardon? was that an assholery comment?
    you think it’s not possible to tell how much your dog itches by the way he/she reacts when you scratch it? and how does one justisfy itching?

  57. All I was saying is that you can’t know what your dog is feeling or the degree of their pain/itching unless you enter their mind.

    Just a matter of subjectivity.

    Not being as asshole at all.

  58. well my basis for comparison was i had next to no itch. when i scratched his implant site he about fell over from leaning into it so hard. when i stopped scratching him he kept putting his shoulderblades under my hand. he doesn’t even beg for scratching that much with flea or mosquito bites. he continued to be that itchy for weeks afterwards.

  59. I hope that the people reacting with anger to a dog with a tattoo realise that it’s cruel to keep a dog in the first place, unless you have a load of other dogs to keep it company and several acres of land for it to run around on… I bet a lot of you say you love your pets, while keeping them in an apartment and taking them for walks from time to time.

    Compared to the fact that the whole concept of keeping a dog as a pet is flawed… its adornment is not that important.

    (I do have pets, but they are of species whose needs I can provide for.)

  60. Try tattooing a dog without it being under anaesthetic and see how far you go. That will tell you how much it would like it.

    Tattooing dogs is for fuckwits with no brains. This dog is better off where it is.

  61. hey alot of dogs are tattooed with id numbers for if they get lost. its not that big of deal. three of my dogs are. its just one way to identify valuable dogs

  62. high five to Giles!!

    no five to anyone who thinks this garbage is just A-OKAY!

  63. Sure, Giles. That dog’s better off cold, hungry, and alone, lost in an alley somewhere, than it would be at home, where it is loved, fed, and cared for. It is better off because of the heinous abuse of a one-inch tattoo that will help people to identify it– and is being used EXPLICITLY AS SUCH– when it is found.

  64. MBL-
    Your line of reasoning is faulty. If the dog is indeed alone in an alley, no one is there to even use this tattoo to identify the dog. Evoking an emotional response using such dismal imagery isn’t helping your cause.

    If someone found the dog, I sincerely doubt the tattoo will make a difference to staff when it is brought to a shelter (if the owner couldn’t be contacted directly via information on the collar tags). Nor would the lack of an identification tattoo deter anyone who wasn’t already going to help the dog. Anyone that has functioning eyeballs would be able to identify this dog, without the needless tattoo.

  66. To people whining about the dog being tattooed:

    If you either own an animal and have other animals killed to feed to it (or support it), or eat animals, you’re doing something significantly worse. Murder is worse than tattooing in my opinion.

    Also, why is a “hello kitty” tattoo somehow “worse” than a numeric identification tattoo or an RFID implant, etc?

    Also, how is this worse than tail docking, ear work, and so on?

    Hell, how is this worse than drinking milk (which involves the systematic enslavement, torture, and eventually murder of animals)?

    Seriously, unless you’re a RADICAL VEGAN (in which case you’re justified), it’s asinine to complain about the tattoo in my opinion. We live in a culture that has no problem with mass slaughter and enslavement of animals. A tattoo on the dog of a loving (misguided or not) owner is really a complete non-issue.

  67. Y’know, I know some animal rights people who are actually pretty bright. Where are they, do you think?

    If the dog is alone in an alley, it is NOT AT HOME ASLEEP ON THE COUCH, Ro. Giles and, presumably, you, find homelessness preferable to enduring the horrifying abuse of an *itchy tattoo.* Giles has flat-out stated that the dog is better off where it is.

    You don’t think the tattoo would make a difference? The poster says “dog with a tattoo.” It’s an identifier that cannot be lost and does not require specialized technology (like a chip reader) to decode. Hello Kitty tattoo= my dog.

    Giles, who considers himself a “true animal lover,” would apparently like to see the dog picked up by animal control and put to sleep rather than be ITCHY FOR A WEEK OR TWO.

    The word “idiot” really isn’t strong enough.

  68. Dude, just because some things are “more wrong” than others (which is completely subjective anyways), doesn’t make something else right. No one can be 100% perfectly animal cruelty free, but this was a very deliberate, calculated action taken by the owner to get their dog a hello kitty tattoo.

    This particular owner isn’t the WORST owner the dog could have, but their behavior is NOT responsible and EXTREMELY selfish. I do hope that the dog is found and well taken care of, by anyone who can take proper, responsible and unselfish care of her.

  69. Aside from the ethical questions animal tattooing raised earlier, a “hello kitty” tattoo is an utter waste. It’s not a specific number and it can’t be linked to national registry of any sort. So on the off chance that animal control does pick up the dog and it has miraculously lost all collar tags, the shelter has absolutely no way to track down this dog’s owner. The argument that this tattoo will help to track down the owner is absurd.

  70. …which would be a problem, if I were claiming that the tattoo would help find the owner. Do work on your reading comprehension.

  71. There is no such thing as “unselfish” care of pets. They’re pets…thats a selfish act in its own, is it not? And why did this all even continue past Shannon’s post? That should have been the end of it!

  72. I hope you find your dog, I got really scared and upset when mine was hiding under the shed and I couldn’t find her.

  73. “Also, how is this worse than tail docking, ear work, and so on?”

    YES that’s wrong TOO, doesn’t mean you got to do any of it either.

  74. MBL-
    You’ve said nothing more than claiming it was an identifying mark. The tattoo would be of no additional value to a shelter worker, veterinary office, or person on the street than comparing the appearance of fur coloration or breed of the missing dog to a description. I’ve worked in the field, it’s not going to make a difference.

  75. Bri – it IS selfish to keep pets, but the selfishness is elevated when they are used as a fashion accessory.

    and what the fuck are you talking about the conversation should be over?

  76. MBL – Giles, who considers himself a “true animal lover,” would apparently like to see the dog picked up by animal control and put to sleep rather than be ITCHY FOR A WEEK OR TWO.

    Those are your words MBL not mine.

    I would prefer the dog to be with a loving owner who did not use it as a bodmod experiment whilst it is asleep.

    The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are quite against such practices as tail docking, ear work etc as am I .

    They say thought that chipping animals is an extremely helpful way in controlling animal’s safety in a world where they are used as currency by some and seemingly as canvasses by others.

  77. The point isn’t that chipping is an extremely helpful way in finding or identifying a dog, the point is that the pain caused by a tattoo is no worse than the pain caused by a microchip. (which, as I have stated, are not normally injected under sedation, but while the dog is fully awake) It’s no worse than the pain of recovering from (our elective for them without their consent) sterilization.

    For a breed that is commonly stolen, a unique identifier is a plus. Microchips can be removed, they can also be rejected if improperly implanted. It’s fairly easy for you to tell the police that your dog is the one with the “hello kitty” tattoo, and they can’t argue with that.

    So unless you are against spaying and neutering on the same grounds, not the animal’s choice, and (as someone said) a raving vegan, then you have room to talk. Otherwise, just wish the dog the best and leave it at that. Quit thinking you’re better than everyone else because of your “obvious” superiority in animal welfare, you’re not! Compared to what I have seen and dealt with in my years with the local humane society, I just wish the worst thing those dogs ever suffered was a tattoo under sedation…

  78. Missme – You seem to be drastically missing the point here and that is that the owner had the tattoo done for purely aestethic and selfish reasons and not for identification. The RSPCA specifically states that the best method to ensure your dog can be traced if lost is through chipping and not through having cartoon images tattooed on them whilst they are under sedation. If you have opposing evidence then please prodce it.
    Spaying and neuturing (along with RFID placement) are extremely helpful ways of controlling the growing numbers of pets left to rot in the wild, abandoned by their owners. These methods are not there to satisfy their owners artistic loves but to help the dog population as a whole.

    Tattooing a dog is wrong and this owner will be reported to the authorities as is the right thing to do.

  79. Giles i can only assume you are a vegan.. correct?? and a very strict one at that?

    if not then please just shut up…

    and read shannons comment.. #66

  80. I have read Shannons comment and frankly it is a shame he feels that way. Neither am I a strict vegan. There is no need for me to be to acknowledge the clear abuse of an animal for the narrow minded fun of their owner.

    If you cannot see the very clear and obvious documented differences between animals used for food and animals abused for art then you really shouldn’t be here.

    If you defend the belief that it is ok to tattoo a non consenting animal then you are part and parcel of a backward society where ignorance rules.

    Next you’ll be claiming some artistic merit to a guy being suspended while high on dope…… oh !!!

    Is it any wonder that certain elements of the bodmod community are not taken seriously by the rest of society when most can’t even come to intelligent subjective critique of it themselves. It makes you wonder whether anyone here has even read Brain’s 1979 book The Decorated Body.

  81. what exactly are some of the clear and obvious documented differences between animals murdered and tortured for food and animals abused for art?

  82. It’s heartbreaking when a pet goes missing. I didn’t like the idea of a tattooed dog when I first saw it but, she did say the dog was under anesthetic. Forget the criticism right now, she’s missing her beloved friend. Have a little compassion. I hope Roxxxie’s found soon and that she’s safe.

  83. I’ve never read The Decorated Body. I must be a total philistine – clearly I’m not educated enough for an opinion on the subject. Excuse me while I hang my head in shame.

    Anyway, I hope the dog turns up safe and well. It’s heart breaking when pets go missing.

  84. Giles, you silly bitch, your EXACT WORDS are “This dog is better off where it is.” Which is LOST. Do you think dogs consent to RFID identification, or spaying/neutering, or are you and Toser still hoping we forget you said that, too?

    Idiots.

  85. Giles, you really think a single nonconsensual tattoo (and a long lifetime of good care and love) is WORSE than being tortured, murdered, and eaten? (And feel free to leave out “being tortured” and replace it with “having short lifetime of love and good care”).

  87. Ro,

    No, they won’t know from the tattoo how to contact the owner, but most likely anyone who sees the tattoo will remember it. And if she’s found locally, it’s likely that someone who has seen it will also see one of the flyers. Furthermore, should someone find her and decide to keep her, the tattoo is a difficult-to-erase mark that would identify the dog as being his. All responsible dog owners get a registered number tattooed on an animal or a microchip, but both of these have their limitations. Personally, I think once Roxxxie is returned home, she should also get one or the other done. I’m not recommending that everyone go out and get custom tattoos done on their pets, but I do believe the owner’s heart was in the right place.

    And shame on everyone who thinks she’s better off lost than at home with her owner.

  88. Shannon – Giles, you really think a single nonconsensual tattoo (and a long lifetime of good care and love) is WORSE than being tortured, murdered, and eaten? (And feel free to leave out “being tortured” and replace it with “having short lifetime of love and good care”).

    Firstly there is no evidence to show that the dog has had a lifetime of good care and love, in fact the only evidence on show is that the dog has clearly chosen to abandon it’s owner and that it’s owner decided to mark it for life whilst it was asleep against its will.

    Secondly animals are (whether you like it or not) part of a huge chain which involves their regular murder and consumption. This is neither specific or limited to humans but necessary across the entire animal kingdom for it to survive.

    Thirdly the moment you tolerate this act against a non consenting animal you open the floodgates for others to do the same and the consequences will inevitably be disastrous.

    We live in a society where stupidity and ignorance rule. If you accept this small tattoo on a non-consenting animal then you give the green light for larger and more damaging acts in the future.

  89. MBL – Giles, you silly bitch, your EXACT WORDS are “This dog is better off where it is.” Which is LOST. Do you think dogs consent to RFID identification, or spaying/neutering,

    Had the dog had RFID ID it could be identified and returned to its owner were it to be found ANYWHERE in the US.

    As it stands it will only now be returned if someone has seen its poster (i.e. a relatively tiny amount of people).

    Quite obviously the tattoo is in no way a better way of ensuring the dog is returned and personally I do believe the dog will be better off not returning to an owner who would abuse its trust in such a way.

  90. You’re right, Giles. All dogs who run away or get lost clearly made the conscious decision to ‘abandon their owners’.

  91. I was just thinking…what if the dog likes the tattoo? I know there’s no way an animal can say no to modification, but there’s also no way he/she can say yes…

    Why does everyone assume that animals hate tattoos? Maybe they like modification, too, just like us.

    Either way, I hope Roxxxie is found soon.

  92. In my opinion what was done to the dog was wrong. I’m no super vegan, but I don’t think I need to be in order to disagree.

    If it had happened in the UK, there would have been a serious uproar, and it would have been taken away from the owner by the RSPCA without a doubt. And I also seriously doubt any registered vet in the UK would allow or tolerate the procedure, and the owners would have been prosecuted anyway.

    Perhaps that explains some of the differences in opinion. Animal treatment and cruelty is taken extremely seriously over here. I’m not saying people from different countries don’t care about their pets, of course they do, but there obviously is a huge difference in what we consider as right and wrong when making decisions for our animals.

  93. You are completely correct Hanargh (again) and it is clear that there is indeed a cultural difference between the UK and our US/Canadian sisters.

    Even putting aside the issue of animal rights you would hope that some would show disagreement towards non consenting, forced aesthetic tattooing.

  94. Okay, kids, Giles is a troll. The new bit about the dog deciding to abandon “it’s” owner takes the cake.

    Plus he still hasn’t dealt with his own contention about whether the dog consented to RFID identification, which he’s been asked a good half-dozen times now, by more people than me.

    Let’s leave him alone and maybe he’ll forget where his keyboard is. Or, even better, perhaps it’ll make the conscious decision to disappear.

  95. MBL if you have nothing intelligent to add to this argument then desist contributing. You are clearly not quite up to the level required for adult discussion.

    As for consenting RFID placement the point is quite clear. Both vets and societies dedicated to the humane treatment of animals see it as necessary and valuable in tracing legitimate owners. I share the same view.

  96. Shannon – I was just thinking…what if the dog likes the tattoo? I know there’s no way an animal can say no to modification, but there’s also no way he/she can say yes…

    The inability to say NO does not automatically mean YES and vice versa. Try tattooing a dog without anaesthesia and see if it stays !!

  97. Giles – I don’t think that saying “murder is the status quo, so we should be ok with that” is really a good way of making your point.

    Personally I wouldn’t tattoo a dog. But I also think it’s a little bit of a “no leg to stand on” situation to complain if that person is willing to eat meat.

    And to follow up your last post — try eating a cow without death and see if it stays on your plate 🙂

  98. Shannon L – I accept your last point but I stand by the idea that eating meat is something natural rather than social and as such is not something learnt. It is instinctive not just to humans but every omnivorous animal alive

    With regards to eating an animal we are talking about a relationship with the animal kingdom that stretches back as far as humans have existed, it has always been there.

    These kind of acts will only add to the detriment of the image of the body modification community as seen from outside and I think it is important that they are condemned from within.

  100. So we’ve established, Giles, that animal consent doesn’t actually matter if human beings determine that their will should supercede the animal’s.

    Interesting.

  101. Absolutely, MBL. And things that have occured as long as humans have existed, like slavery, are also acceptable.

  102. Laurie, please do me a favor and reread the thread until you understand why what you just said is dumb.

  103. MBL – Giles, that animal consent doesn’t actually matter if human beings determine that their will should supercede the animal’s.

    You appear to need to re-read the thread yourself. Animal consent takes second place when the safety of the animal is primarily the motivation for such things as RFID. When the welfare of the animal is the top motivating factor for it being tagged then clearly it is the animal’s best interests.

    At no point does having it tattooed illegally fall anywhere close to this.

  104. MBL, please reread my comment until you understand that what I just said was dumb because I was using Giles’ logic.

  105. Laurie your comment was dumb because you compared eating meat (a natural occurance to all omnivorous animals) to slavery (a social occurance that took place for around 1000 years.

    Your comment Laurie was not only ill-informed but plain wrong. Humans eat meat because we are omnivores by nature (hence the tooth structure, complex stomach acids etc etc).

    Comparing slavery to meat eating is not only offensive to those who suffered under slavery but rather a redundant argument.

  107. … Oh, and thanks, Shannon, for making the only comment (66) that makes any sense in this thread.

  109. I think it’s justified that they lost their dog. I think tattooing an animal is a disgusting act. It is really cruel. If I was the vet I would have called the ASPCA. Really what the fuck is wrong with people?

  110. When I see missing posters for pets, I don’t study them long enough to actually remember them. I don’t think to myself, “tabby cat, three white paws, odd shaped nipple – must remember!” I just think “missing cat – shame,” then forget. Likewise with Jack Russels. They all basically look the same. Why bother?

    However, I’m not likely to forget one with a hello kitty tattoo. So if I’m out and about, see a jack russel all alone, I’ll probably think “hey, isn’t there a missing one with a lame tattoo?”

    Hence, the tattoo is an identifying feature, and works like three legs, in that it’s a feature that people won’t forget after seeing the missing poster. It’s not about tracing the owners, like a microchip, it’s about making people take notice.

    If eating meat is okay because it’s a natural urge, perhaps it’s a natural urge of owners to want to make their pets as visible as possible in case of loss, out of the desire to protect.

  111. —If eating meat is okay because it’s a natural urge, perhaps it’s a natural urge of owners to want to make their pets as visible as possible in case of loss, out of the desire to protect.

    By this argument then we should tattoo their faces or paint them different colours.

  112. #110

    But if everyone made their pet as “distinctive” as everyone else, i.e – give them all wacky tattoos – we’d stop taking notice and wouldn’t remember such things, as they’d become minute info.

  113. “Animal consent takes second place when the safety of the animal is primarily the motivation for such things as RFID. When the welfare of the animal is the top motivating factor for it being tagged then clearly it is the animal’s best interests.”

    “You seem to be drastically missing the point here and that is that the owner had the tattoo done for purely aestethic and selfish reasons and not for identification.”

    Sigh. Giles, please stop making things up. Seriously. You don’t have the VAGUEST IDEA why this person tattooed his dog. The only thing you do know is that the tattoo is being used as a way for people to remember the dog so that they NOTICE IT if they happen to find it.

    That’s all you know. It’s the only thing. Everything else you’ve said in this entire thread has been the result of you MAKING UP idiotic bullshit based on no evidence whatsoever, from “the dog is better off where it is” (lost) to “the dog decided to run away” (because no animal, ever, has been separated from its owners unintentionally) to the heinous “abuse” from… well, itching, to the completely, utterly ridiculous consent issue, where it turns out BY YOUR OWN WORDS that animal consent only actually matters when the people involved allow it to– ie, animal consent doesn’t matter AT ALL, and you’re just blowing smoke.

    You somehow live in a world where animal consent matters when it doesn’t want to be tattooed, but it doesn’t matter when the animal doesn’t want to be EATEN or MADE INTO SHOES, which are both a considerably greater inconvenience than a tiny tattoo that just might get the dog home again. You’re a very silly person pursuing an intellecutally incoherent argument. Please stop.

  114. You’re right, if all dogs had tattooes it wouldn’t be distinctive. But most dogs aren’t tattooed, and neither am I saying they should. All I’m saying is that in this case, it’s a feature that helps people take notice of the fact that the dog is missing. It doesn’t have to be obvious like bright colours and tattooed faces. The mere act of it having the tattoo makes my brain register that a jack russel is missing, so if I lived in the area and I saw one alone, I’d think “maybe that’s the dog – why don’t I check?”

    Whether or not everyone decides to tattoo their pets in the future doesn’t really affect the situation now.

  117. So, in my opinion, tattooing a fucking hello kitty on a dog isn’t right in the slightest bit.. But w/e.. It’s not my dog…
    I hope u find her

  118. i can´t understand how people can be so stupid an do this to his dog, i hope u never find her , cos i´m sure that the animal hate u and poor her she don´t wanna be with u

  119. hey
    m feeling sorry for the dog but for the owner too…how could u do this to the lil baby???makin a tatoo….thts bad…but yah u r putin ur efforts to find her…so i hope u find her soon..
    FRIENDS I NEED A HELP TOO….I KNOW A FAMILY WHO TORTURES THEIR DOG…MY PARENTS ARE NOT ALLOWING ME TO TAKE A STEP MYSELF…I WANNA HELP THE DOG….WHAT SHLD I DO???

  120. Giles…..can an animal consent to being chipped?….no….is it nessecary?….no….can an animal consent to a tattoo?….no….is it nessecary?….no……is it (obviousy) a better form of I.D. then a coller wich can break and a microchip wich takes a 6 Ga NEEDLE jabbing in to an un willing animal while its awake?….uh DUH!!!!……your burning out and re stating yourself OVER and OVER and OVER….give up….your radial views wont win this one like every other one you try and fight!

  121. Tattooing the dog was wrong, yes. But to assume that he’s better off gone solely based on that is absurd.

    As a strict vegan, I think I may be the only non-hypocrite in this entire thread.

  122. I think it’s slightly disingenuous to argue that applying a decorative tattoo to a dog is justifiable as long as we continue to slaughter animals for food.

    On at least some level it can be argued that slaughtering animals is a necessary evil (I know, I know, we could all be vegan). But, in theory at least, animals that are slaughtered for food undergo as little suffering as humanely possible and are slaughtered to sustain life. I realise that this is frequently not the case — I’ve seen those PETA videos too — but millions of animals are eaten alive by other animals in the wild every day. At least there’s some vestige of natural order being gestured at in killing animals for their meat.

    But imposing permanent physical changes on a living animal for decorative purposes?

    Shannon asked why a Hello Kitty tattoo is worse than a numeric identification tattoo or an RFID implant. My dog has an alphanumeric tattoo, which was placed on her under anaesthetic when she was neutered. In my view, both procedures (the neutering and the tattooing) were justified in terms of pain/danger vs result.

    The tattoo consists of five tiny characters in black, rather than a relatively large, coloured-in image. It was the most minimally invasive, minimally disruptive, minimally painful procedure available at the time, and done for reasons of the dog’s safety, not for my own pleasure. The neutering was done for reasons of population control: as a responsible dog owner, I did not want my dog creating other dogs who would end up in the same situation I rescued her from: born as part of a random mating, abused and ultimately abandoned.

    In short, inflicting a certain amount of harm on animals is justifiable when the benefits outweigh the risks and when minimally invasive procedures are used: killing animals for food; tattooing or implanting animals under anaesthesia for reasons of their own safetey; neutering dogs and cats for reasons of population control. But inflicting harm on animals for reasons of human pleasure or entertainment — ear cropping; tail docking; decorative tattoos; branding; piercing — cannot be justified.

    This particular tattoo, though it may ultimately assist in locating the dog, is not justifiable when far less physically traumatic methods are available. Most dogs don’t even seem to feel the implantation of RFID tags, for example. At the very least, a simple alphanumeric tattoo would have accomplished the objective of providing identification while sparing the dog the additional physcial stress of the application and healing of a purely decorative image.

  123. What is funny, is how many leave a comment about how wrong it was to tattoo their dog, and how it is animal abuse. But put it this way, anybody who abuses their animal apperantly don’t love them. They are taking their time in finding this poor dog. Not to mention, tattooing a dog is not worse than other ways of making it easy to identify them, such as the micro chips or punching a hole in a sheeps ear for a tag. And, what about declawing your cat, or nutering your animals..? They are asleep while the process is being done, but I promise you they are in alot more pain during the healing process than a little sore spot from a tattoo. And that stupid comment about “the animal can’t give concent”. Shoot yourself for saying that. I pierce little babies everyday, and they don’t give concent. The parent or in the dogs case the OWNER, gave the concent.

  124. Using babies as an example of why it’s fine to pierce or tattoo animals is pretty backwards – plenty of professional piercers (myself included) won’t pierce humans incapable of giving consent, and personally, I quite happily label parents modifying children cosmetically while they are too young to ask for it or agree to it “child abuse”.

  125. Horses (especially racehorses) are tattooed with numbers for identification purposes all the time. On the inside of the upper lip, with a big clampy printing-press-type thing. If the dog was already under anesthesia for another reason (spay, etc), so what? Get over it.

  126. This just goes to show, people can bitch about the most stupidest things.

    I for one, wouldnt have picked Hello Kitty. Something cooler. lolz

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