Peircing/tattooing your pet cruel?

[binka_nugget]

However, at one point while I was in highschool, the newest fad going around was to pierce your dogs ears.. I would never have done it, but I do remember when I would go to Petsmart and Petco there would be people walking their dogs around with their ears pierced... The majority of them were people with pit bulls and etc.. I also worked at the humane society, and we had a couple dogs come in that had it done.

Ugh. That reminds me of a dog I saw at the dog beach. It was a pittie with a genital piercing. I really don't get some people..

[Twisterdog]

There probably is some pain involved with microchipping. However, momentary pain and size of needle aside, there is a valid, important purpose for microchipping. It very well could be the difference between life and death, between happiness and torture for your pet. I would gladly, a thousand times over, inflict the few moments of pain on my pet to get them microchipped, if it meant they would be returned to me if lost.

Cosmetic piercing or tattooing, however, is simply pointless to the animal. It is pain, risk of injury and infection, etc. for no reason whatsoever.