Outrage from animal lovers as man tattoos his own pet DOG

A North Carolina man has created huge controversy among animal lovers after tattooing Duchess - his own pet dog.

Ernesto Rodriguez, who is a tattoo artist and Army veteran, inked the 5-month-old purebred American Pit Bull on the underbelly at his basement parlor in Pinnacle, NC, on Wednesday.

When Rodriguez posted pictures of the emblem on Facebook he received fierce criticism from all over the U.S. But the man claims the tattoo can be used for identification and compares it to branding farm animals.



Controversy: This tattoo on a dog's belly has caused a storm between a North Carolina tattoo artist and animal lovers all over the U.S.

Duchess: Ernesto Rodriguez inked the 5-month-old purebred American Pit Bull at his basement parlor in North Carolina

Rodriguez says that the design of the tattoo is related to Duchess's pedigree bloodline, according to WXII12 . He claims that his pet was anesthetized and ' didn’t feel anything.'

'She got up and she’s been fine,' Rodriguez added.



But as soon as the tattoo artist put a photo of his pet's stomach on his Planet Ink Facebook page, it stimulated complaints and accusations of animal cruelty.

'This is so sad. There is not a dog in the world who deserves to go through this type of cruelty. I feel terrible for any dog in your care. I wish they would take them all away and find safe, loving homes for them,' said one animal lover.

One Facebook user added: 'Please... do us all a favor... don't ever have children... I would hate to see what you would to your children if you ever got bored with them in the house.'

Another commenter posted: 'Receiving a tattoo requires consent. Your dog cannot consent. Please be respectful to those who cannot consent. Be respectful to your dog.'

Justification: Rodriguez said the tattoo can be used for identification and compares it to branding farm animals.

An angrier person said: 'I hope that you rot in hell for the torture you made that dog endure.. you are a sick creature.. and a cruel human.. no better than someone who makes their dogs fight!!'

But Rodriguez told WXII12 that he didn't see a problem with his actions.

'What do they do when they brand animals and tattoo horses on their ear and brand their cow? You’re not abusing them. You’re just protecting them so they don’t get lost,' Rodriguez said.

'If you go on Google and type up dog tattoos, you'll get a thousand images of dogs tattooed. This has been going on for years,' the man added said.

On Facebook he responded with: 'Here is the final result for you haters out there... Animal control came looked at my beautiful dog and left.... wow... what a waste of tax payers money... so im still gonna tattoo my dogs when ever i feel like it... good try haters thanks for all the advertisement.'

No criminal charges have been filed in this case but investigations are continuing.



The local health department has since issued Rodriguez a cease and desist order. This requires that he stops tattooing until he receives proper zoning permits.

The tattoo artist (right) claims his dog didn't suffer during the process of getting the ink done (left). She 'didn’t feel anything,' Rodriguez said



Dr. Ken Wheeler, an investigator with the state veterinary medical board, explained to WXII12 that tattooing a pet is not illegal unless it can be construed as animal cruelty.



The definition of cruelty in this case takes in the dog feeling pain, or being hurt or maimed. Rodriguez maintains that the dog was asleep the whole time.

