BROOKLYN (PIX11) – A tattoo artist who posted a pic on Instagram of his unconscious, freshly-inked pooch has been fired from the Brooklyn tattoo parlor where he worked.
Red Legged Devils owner Chris Torres says he doesn’t condone animal abuse and told DNAinfo ”This has gone viral. It’s not good.” The story even ended up on the cover of Thursday’s New York Post.
The dog owner, whose first name is Alex, but goes by the name Mistah Metro, posted the picture of the unconscious K-9 with a heart tattoo on its shoulder bearing the names “Alex” and “Mel.” Mistah Metro wrote on his Instagram: “One of the many reasons my dog is cooler than your[s]! She had her spleen removed today and the vet let me tattoo her while she was under.”
The pic was taken down after it wound up on Gothamist, and appeared under a new profile, mistahmetro7 with the caption, “Had to delete my account and make another, some people just don’t appreciate anything! It’s an ANIMAL with a TATTOO!”
Before the Instagram pic was again deleted, it sparked a string of furious comments: “This is disgusting,” wrote one person. “What the f*****g hell is wrong with you?” wrote another. “ARE YOU FOR REAL (sic)?” asked a third.
Torres, who says the tattoo was done at the veterinarian’s office and not the tattoo parlor, defended the dog owner but not his actions.
“He’s a nice kid. It obviously wasn’t well thought out,” Torres told DNAinfo. “He spent thousands and thousands on the dog to keep him in good health. He cared for it like an old person in an old home.”