NY Lawmakers Pass Bill Banning Pet Tattoos, Piercings

ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- State lawmakers in New York have voted to make it illegal to tattoo or pierce dogs and cats.

The bill came following reports of the sale of so-called "gothic kittens" that had piercings on their necks and back, and of a Brooklyn tattoo artist who tattooed his dog.

The legislation passed the state Assembly earlier this month and was endorsed by the Senate on Wednesday. Both votes were unanimous. The proposal now heads to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is expected to sign it into law.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat and the sponsor of the legislation in the Assembly, said the bill will protect cats and dogs from the "selfish whims" of their owners.

"Tattooing and piercing of companion animals serves no purpose other than to satisfy the aesthetic predilections of the owner, and inflicts unnecessary pain on the animal, pain that they cannot understand or contextualize," Rosenthal said in a statement.

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