ALBANY, N.Y., Dec. 15 (UPI) -- New York's Gov. Cuomo signed a law banning the tattooing and piercing of pets on Monday.

"This is animal abuse, pure and simple," Cuomo told 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."


The bill was introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal in 2011. An Instagram photo of tattooed dog posted by Brooklyn tattoo artist Mistah Metro further elevated the drive to pass the bill.

"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," Mistah Metro wrote on Instagram at the time.

Tattooing animals is not just a New York thing, as North Carolina Army tattoo artist Ernesto Rodriguez was part of a controversy over tattooing a dog in 2013, which he claimed was for identification purposes.