Singapore is now exporting ... tattooed fish!
At Steve's Wonderful World of Pets in Williamsville, N.Y., owner Steve Lane is selling tattooed fish for the first time. Some have polka dots, some have stripes and others even have pink hearts.
The fish are imported from Singapore. Lane believes they have to be restrained and then tattooed with a tattoo gun.
Four of the fish were brought and taken to the SPCA for their opinion.
Spokeswoman Gina Browning says the practice is not illegal as far as she knows, but they don't condone it. "Morally and ethically what we're looking at is incorrect. Any animal lover would agree, it's so unnatural," says Browning.
Pure aesthetic alterations or unnecessary alterations (i.e. declawing a cat, plus what juliet noted) seem far more unethical than anything. oh what people will do for money...
I grant this process is less destructive than the more common dyeing process of fish, but it is still worthlessly inhumane.
As for what Juliet says, your right. Branding cows is inhumane, clipping or bobbing a dog is inhumane, fishing is less of a problem for me, though I will not be engaging in any myself.
I grant any arguement over what is "natural" for fish is ridiculou; especially when I, as many others do, keep pet fish. However there is a level of responsibility in owning a pet that something like this clearly disregards. Until it is proven that this is painless and does not affect the fish's well being, why bother?