Infuriated over "pet modification"

[CoyCoyote]

Okay, its likely that some of you have seen these pictures before, but I wanted to share them with those that haven't. Frankly, I'm disgusted.

Cat with barbell

Fish with piercing

And a dog that received a tattoo

Here's the website. http://www.bmezine.com/pierce/11-surface/animal001.html

Dontcha love how they make a point of saying "WE DO NOT RECOMMEND OR SUGGEST PIERCING OR OTHERWISE MODIFYING ANIMALS IN ANY WAY"? Riiiight.

 

[xpaeanx]

I knew a chi with an earing... I think they're funny to see, but I would never do that to my own animals... I don't agree with it as a fashion statement. farmers use body mods all the time... they eartag their livestock... but that's not done as a fashion statment...

 

[bubbatd]

:yikes: sick !!!!!!!!

 

[CoyCoyote]

I knew a chi with an earing... I think they're funny to see, but I would never do that to my own animals... but I don't agree with it as a fashion statement. farmers use body mods all the time... they eartag their livestock... but that's not done as a fashion statment...

I am in agreeance that farmers must use tags with their livestock, even a tattoo in the ear or similar. But not on a friggin' goldfish, man.

There is absolutely no reason a dog should have a tat on its belly for aesthetic purposes. And earrings just seem dangerous...I keep imagining them getting caught on something, or ripped out in a play session.

Maybe I'm just conservative, but thats a lot of bs.

 

[Zoom]

I don't agree with it as a fashion statement at all, it just seems in poor taste. But on a baser level, it's not much different from anything else we do to our animals, whether it be chipping or tattooing them for ID, docking/cropping or just plain breeding for a specific look. It's all in the perception. It's kind of how we can feel super warm and fuzzy for fostering an animal until it finds a new home but getting horribly outraged over someone who decides they don't want the animal anymore. To the animal, it's all the same.

 

[CoyCoyote]

I don't agree with it as a fashion statement at all, it just seems in poor taste. But on a baser level, it's not much different from anything else we do to our animals, whether it be chipping or tattooing them for ID, docking/cropping or just plain breeding for a specific look. It's all in the perception. It's kind of how we can feel super warm and fuzzy for fostering an animal until it finds a new home but getting horribly outraged over someone who decides they don't want the animal anymore. To the animal, it's all the same.

You've got a good point, but things that are done out of necessity (chipping, ID tats, etc.) are done with the intention of helping the animal. Making your pet endure a painful piercing and putting him at risk of injury should it get caught in something isn't the same at all. And risking general anesthesia for a tattoo that takes 2 hours seems a stupid and careless action. In general, these people aren't doing it for the good of the pet; they do it because it makes them feel cool.

 

[xpaeanx]

I don't agree with it as a fashion statement at all, it just seems in poor taste. But on a baser level, it's not much different from anything else we do to our animals, whether it be chipping or tattooing them for ID, docking/cropping or just plain breeding for a specific look. It's all in the perception.

I don't think chipping and tattooing should be grouped with docking/cropping. They're like apples and oranges.

chipping and tattooing is done as a safetly precaution...

docking/cropping on working dogs wasn't done for fashion back in the day when it started. today, it is though... so I can see that being compared.

but earings can be hazardous to the animal... they could easily rip them out, leaving them with a torn ear. They could even swallow them once they got them out... I know I've seen my share of animals going under the knife because they ate something they shouldn't have....

 

[CoyCoyote]

 

[Zoom]

^^That's someone with too much dispoable cash and not enough brains.

xpaenx, so say we. But again, to the animal, whether it's sitting under the skin or in their ear, it's still a foreign object we stuck there.

 

[CoyCoyote]

^^That's someone with too much dispoable cash and not enough brains.

Lol, that's similar to what the hubby said when he saw this one; "God, I wonder what else this guy throws his money away for?"

 

[Zoom]

I think I would have given him more points if it had at least been the Superman "S".

 

[Dekka]

~mafia not dekka~

BME is documenting it. People are going to do it whether they document it or not. They aren't advocating it.

It has been an issue among the members there and has come up from time to time.

 

[Adambesme]

How pathetic. I never understand why people have animals for the way they think it makes themselves look. A reason to have a dog is for it to do a job or (mainly) because one enjoys the company of dogs. A person who has their dog tattooed or pierced only cares about how that dog and its appearance reflects back on themself. A pretty sorry reason for keeping an animal. Dogs aren't vain. Isn't that one of the great things about them?

 

[Romy]

My cousin had a guinea pig with an earring, but she didn't pierce the ear. One of it's littermates ripped her ear and left a hole with a scar, so my cousin put a tiny gold hoop in it. I did that once with a chinchilla who had an eartag because she came from a ranch. The tag came out and a diamond earring went in. It was kind of a joke and didn't hurt them at all.

If I had a dog with a hole in it's ear, I might stick an earring in it for laughs, but I definitely wouldn't leave it in unsupervised, and especially around other dogs. And I definitely wouldn't go out of my way to have it pierced.

I wouldn't go out of my way to modify one of my animals for cosmetics. I don't think it's a very smart way to spend time and money, but I don't think that the people who do are horrible monsters. Those animals at least are getting more attention and care for the most part than the ones languishing in people's back yards completely ignored except to have food tossed at them once a day.

Out of all these though, the tattooing seems the worst. Especially if they needed anesthesia to do it. And the goldfish piercing. What the heck!?!

 

[pacopoe]

I actually think the pirate tattoo on the chunky chi-thing's belly is fake. I feel like I've seen it in a vending machine somewhere...

The "extreme" tattoo is just plain dumb. I wouldn't date anyone with that tattoo let alone immortalize it on my dog.

 

[Pam111]

I actually think the pirate tattoo on the chunky chi-thing's belly is fake. I feel like I've seen it in a vending machine somewhere...

I agree. It just looks fake to me.

 

[SharkyX]

Looks like the pirates of the carribean logo.. so that could be why you've seen it around.

To tatoo your dog you'd have to keep it shaven all the time... that'd just be a pain... aside from being pointless and a waste of money but those have already been mentioned.
They might all be the same as far as the dog is concerned... accept that we the human know one is meant as protection or a possible way to keep the animal identified the other is vanity (no I don't agree with the various docking and cropping either...).
And at least with the other things it's done as part of a breed standard... intentionally tatooing your dog isn't part of any standard I've ever seen (not that I've looked at many )

 

[Zhucca]

~mafia not dekka~

BME is documenting it. People are going to do it whether they document it or not. They aren't advocating it.

It has been an issue among the members there and has come up from time to time.

I was wondering if someone else would stick up for bmezine.

The majority of the members do have a problem with animal modification, alot of them are animal welfare activists.

However, I too disagree with animal modification, seems unnecessary and any piercing will eventually get ripped out. And tattoos are just unecessary anesthsia(sp??)

 

[Romy]

I did read some article once about a dog with pink nose pigment that was getting precancerous cells on her nose from the sun. They ended up tattooing her nose black to protect the skin from sun damage....now where is it......

not the same article, but it mentions tattooing:

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/nose.html

not really cosmestic, but this thread reminded me of it.

 

[StillandSilent]

I think the pirates tattoo is fake also. My nephew had the same one, and I believe it to be the same size (just guessing on the size of the dog.)
Otherwise, seems stupid to me.