NC man under fire after tattooing his dog

NORTH CAROLINA — A North Carolina man is under fire for tattooing his puppy.

Ernesto Rodriguez said he tattooed his 4-month-old American bulldog named Duchess for identification purposes.

He said he had just taken the puppy to the vet to get her ears clipped then took her to the tattoo shop while she was still sedated from surgery.

Animal advocates say the story doesn't add up.

"Usually, when you pick up a dog or cat they're already awake after the procedure. They don't usually hand you over a dog that is asleep. On his first Facebook post he said he was bored and tattooing. I think now he's backpedaling, saying he's identifying it," said advocate Caleb Scott.

Investigators said they are looking into the case because someone filed a complaint.

They don't know yet if any laws were violated.

WSOC