MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Tattooing or piercing pets becomes a federal offense in Brazil

The penalties also apply to tattoo parlors carrying out these practices

Starting this week, Brazilian animal owners who have their domestic pets tattooed or pierced for aesthetic purposes face between two and five years in prison, in addition to a fine, plus losing custody of the animal. The penalty also applies to anyone allowing this to happen and is aggravated if the animal dies in the process or as a result thereof.

Law 15.150 amends the so-called Environmental Crimes Law (No. 9.605 of 1998), equating the practice with other abusive conduct that causes injury or mutilates wild, domestic, or domesticated animals, whether native or exotic.

The ban, however, does not apply to procedures used for purposes other than aesthetic - such as, for example, the markings made on dogs and cats to make it easier to recognize those that have been castrated, nor to those used to ensure the traceability and certification of agribusiness production animals, such as oxen, horses and pigs.

The measure was welcomed by experts, including members of the Federal Council of Veterinary Medicine (CFMV), whose Resolution No. 1236 of 2018 defines cruel practices and mistreatment of animals and stipulates the rules of conduct for professionals in the category.

“The ban on unnecessary procedures defined in Law No. 15,150 complements and reinforces the CFMV's position in defense of animal welfare. Tattooing or piercing dogs and cats for aesthetic purposes, as well as causing pain, exposes them to various complications such as allergic reactions, infections, skin necrosis, and accidents with the adornment, causing lacerations,” CFMV Technical Manager Fernando Zacchi said in a statement.

Veterinarian Marina Zimmermann, a specialist in medical and surgical practice with more than 20 years' experience, told Agência Brasil that the potential risks and harms of tattoos on animals are not yet fully understood.

“We obviously have pain, which requires the tattooist to anesthetize the animal, which is already a risk. There's also the risk of the ink causing allergies, sores, and even infections, especially if the animal licks the site of the pain excessively. In addition, the consequences can vary according to the breed and other aspects,” she said.

Describing the case of a cat seriously injured after getting ear piercings, Zimmermann explained that “the owner thought it would be nice to put two piercings in the ear of the kitten who, like all cats, grooms herself by licking herself. When she put her paw over her face, the cat hooked a claw in one of the piercings and tore the ear off.”

She also reckoned having seen complicated things, such as people putting metal fangs on dogs or even coloring their fur - “which, although not a major aggression, is something extravagant.”

The new law was penned by Federal Congressman Fred Costa and approved by the Lower House in August 2021, getting the Senate's nod on May 20 of this year.

“We all know, from our own experience or from reports from acquaintances, that getting a tattoo is always painful,” Costa mentioned in his bill. “There's nothing to argue about the free will of a person who wants to use this type of adornment on their own body, but the freedom to tattoo one's skin doesn't mean that we can make that decision for the animals that live with us,” he further noted.

Before the federal decision, these practices were already banned by some City Councils, such as those of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. (Source: Agencia Brasil)