Put your dog in a bow tie : weird but cute . Dress your cat in a bear costume : odd , but let the kitty dream . Push your overweight dog in a stroller : ridiculous , but sweet . Give your dog a tattoo covering its entire stomach and pierce its ears with mini barbells : WAIT ! The New York Legislature believes some pet obsessions have gone too far . A bill banning the piercing and tattooing of companion animals , the most common of which are cats and dogs , was unanimously passed in both chambers on Wednesday . The bill awaits signing by Gov . Andrew Cuomo . If Cuomo signs the bill , violators face possible fines or imprisonment . The legislation was initially introduced in 2011 when a groomer , Holly Crawford , of Sweet Valley , Pennsylvania , began marketing `` Gothic kittens '' on eBay . New York State Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal , who represents Manhattan , introduced the legislation immediately after reading an article about the kittens , said Lauren Schuster , her chief of staff . The kittens were pierced down their entire back , according to Schuster . That practice was brought to the attention of law enforcement by the animal rights group PETA . The groomer was prosecuted and convicted in Pennsylvania . Court documents showed she was sentenced to six months of electronic home monitoring and a period of probation . Crawford did not return a CNN call seeking comment . Under the New York bill , tattooing is acceptable as a form of identification for animals or to indicate that a medical procedure has been done , but `` not for design purposes . '' Animal advocates hope people will move to having pets `` microchipped '' instead . Last year , a North Carolina man came under fire for putting tattoos on his two dogs . Ernesto Rodriguez , a tattoo artist , said he put the intricate tattoos on the bellies of his dogs so they could be easily identified if they were lost , CNN affiliate WGHP-TV reported . New York 's bill gained momentum in early March , when a Brooklyn resident tattooed his pitbull while it was having surgery to have its spleen removed . This was the `` catalyst for [ the bill ] to move again , '' said Schuster . Response from the public and animal rights groups was immediate , said Schuster . `` I think people have a natural knee jerk for something like this , '' she said . People began to ask the question , `` This really happens ? '' said Schuster . Under the bill , piercing and tattooing of companion animals would only be allowed for medical or identification purposes and must be performed by a licensed veterinarian . While tattooing in the past has been used as a form of identification , PETA says it prefers the microchip because it is the most effective . `` Under no circumstance should an animal be pierced , '' said Daphna Nachminovitch , senior vice president of cruelty investigation for PETA . Nachminovitch calls the bill a `` wonderful thing '' even though this `` should be common sense , '' she says . While many states have animal cruelty statues , this is the only ban she has heard of to legally ban the tattooing and piercing of companion animals . New York ferret fans find foothold as city reconsiders ban . Sleeping with the ( gold ) fishes : N.Y. pet cemeteries to accept pet owner remains .
New York State Legislature passed bill banning piercing and tattooing of pets . It was introduced after woman tried to sell pierced ` ` Gothic kittens '' on Halloween for $ 100 each . Legislators acted after a man had his arm tattooed during vacation .