Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Brooklyn Tattoo Parlor Fires Artist Who Inked His Dog
By
Lauren Evans
Published Mar 6, 2014
Modified Mar 7, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Lauren Evans
Published Mar 6, 2014
Modified Mar 7, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Brooklyn's premiere dog tattooist is looking for work, having been fired from his job at Prospect Heights' Red Legged Devil tattoo shop over one boastful Instagram photo.
Artist Mistah Metro launched a thousand ships of controversy yesterday when he posted a photo of his dog, still unconscious after spleen surgery, sporting some newly acquired ink compliments of her owner. "My dog is cooler than yours!" he said in the caption, adding that the "vet let me tattoo her while she was under." Livid animal rights activists promptly led to the photo's removal, but it was too late.
Reached for comment, Red Legged Devil owner Chris Torres insisted that neither he nor his shop had anything to do with the dog tattooing, and moreover, that what Metro did was not a crime. "People are still offered jobs after being pedophiles," he argued. “I don’t know why everyone is treating this kid like he raped a 12-year-old."
But it seems Metro's behavior wasn't entirely kosher with Torres, who gained notoriety after being featured on TLC's NY Ink: DNAinfo reported today that the artist was relieved from his duties at the Flatbush Avenue studio.
"He said his dog was under anesthesia and he was going back to the vet to put a tattoo on him," Torres told the news site. "He took his machine and went out the door.'' He hasn't seen him since.
"He's a nice kid. It obviously wasn't well thought out," Torres added. "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."
Torres had decidedly less to say to us when we called, confirming only that Metro is "not going to be working here." He added that his former employee has been mobbed by reporters since the photo appeared on Gothamist yesterday, though none have successfully reached him.
"There are reporters outside his house, calling his mom," he said. "Any idea where he is?" we asked.
"He's just not here," Torres said.
Tagged
chris torres
dog tattooing
mistah metro
red legged devil
Lauren Evans
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
Remnants of Hurricane Isaias could bring more than an inch of rain, gusty winds and even a thunderstorm Sunday before conditions improve Monday.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 10, 2026 at 10:57 a.m. ET
Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con
Comic Con continues through Sunday.
By
Jessica Gould
News
Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con
Comic Con continues through Sunday.
By
Jessica Gould
What we know about the ICE shooting in NYC
By
Karen Yi
DSA to Mamdani: Fire NYPD commissioner if ICE doesn't leave NYC
By
Elizabeth Kim
,
Brigid Bergin
and
Ben Feuerherd
Two people killed in Bronx vehicle crash
By
Kaya Laterman
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .