Man tattoos his dog's face, claiming it would protect it from cancer

A dog pictured with five tattoos on different parts of its body has caused an outcry with claims of animal cruelty. The dog's apparent owner bizarrely claimed the ink designs would protect the dog from cancer - but later deleted the images after an online storm erupted, Daily Mirror reported. Photos showed the dog with tattoos on its mouth, ears and next to its eyes. It is believed tattoo artist Emerson Damasceno is the owner. He said he believed the tattoos would protect the dog from cancer. The owner's girlfriend also defended him with postings on their social network accounts.  The man later deleted his profile from Facebook and other social network accounts.
It is unclear if police are investigating.