Animal tattoo

Animal tattooing can be traced back to 2,000 B.C., where Egyptians marked their cattle with tattoos to prevent theft. These tattoos signified ownership of cattle and were recurrently seen in early historical records. Cattle tattooing became widespread in the 16th century, when Spanish explorers brought cattle to North America. It was common for these tattoos to be the owner's initials or the name of their ranch, as a symbol of ownership as well as identification. There is also evidence of animal tattooing in the first half of the twentieth century, utilised by the military. A newspaper article from 1910 outlined that it was common for the military to tattoo identification numbers onto horse's hooves, as armies were still operating on horsepower. However, these markings only lasted for approximately four months. Due to this, the British Army began tattooing identification numbers and letters onto the inside of horse's lips; this eventually became a common technique among military units. == Animal identification ==

The most common use of animal tattooing is for animal identification purposes. Agriculture Animal identification is essential in the agricultural industry, due to its aid in identity confirmation, breeding security and theft prevention. The method of tattooing identification codes on animals is very complex and specific and is commonly taught very early in agricultural training. There are several different procedures associated with animal identification tattooing; the appropriate procedure is determined through examining the size of the animal, the size of the herd or the various purposes for identification. To ensure hygiene and decrease the risk of spreading infection throughout a herd, all tattoo equipment used must be sanitised after use. This method has been applied for wild animals including rodents and other small mammals, lizards and other small reptiles, and medium-sized mammals such as possums. Ultraviolet ink tattoos, which are mostly invisible under normal light, may be used instead of dark ink. == Art and aesthetics ==

in India Tattoo artist Bob Shaw stated that in middle of the 20th century, himself, as well as many other tattoo artists, used to tattoo the pink marks on dogs' noses to make them appear completely black for either aesthetic reasons, or to avoid sunburn. Delvoye is known for tattooing 'pop culture' symbols directly onto live pigs, which he then exhibits them in galleries or on his Art Farm. This has provoked debate about the morality of this art form. An example of tattooing animals for decorative means occurred in Detroit in 2007, where at least seven pet shops in the metro area sold tattooed Parrot Cichlid fish for Valentine's Day. These fish were tattooed with pink lips and the text 'I (heart) U' on their bodies. An injection or a laser was used on the fish in order to imprint a permanent design. This was therefore administered purely for aesthetic means, which provoked disappointment from animal rights activists. == Ethical implications ==

The philosophy of animal welfare implies that humans have the power or right over animals, and are therefore responsible for their well-being. The concept of 'animal well-being' accounts for an animal's stress, suffering, physical health and behavioural needs. However, this dominion that humans possess over animals has provoked conflicted attitudes toward the practice of pet tattooing; although people assert that tattooing animals can evoke harm and pain upon the animal, others believe that it is within their rights as an owner. ==References==