Kitty cruelty?

So, I just read an article about a woman who is in trouble for selling kittens that have piercings. Here's the link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_fe_st/odd_pierced_kittens;_ylt=AnpFUCWT5LEq2hs68BVd2mxxFb8C

The article says that the cats were taken away and the woman likely faces charges. My question is....really?
Because I know you can take your pets and have their claws removed, have their wings or ears clipped, tails shortened, chop their nuts off, and the list goes on. But I guess an earring....or tail ring as the case may be, is crossing the line.

Don't get me wrong, I like pets as much as the next guy, and I'm not saying piercing your pets is a great thing to do, I'm just saying I don't think it should be a prosecutable offense, considering.

Think about this. I was able to take my 2 month old infant daughter to the mall, the
MALL, and have a teenager pierce her ears. I wonder if I would be able to get her nose pierced, or her bellybutton. Where are the lines drawn. Is this spelled out somewhere or is it all a matter of opinion.

Thoughts?