Pug urinates on Banksy's tribute to 9/11 in New York's Tribeca

Crowds of New Yorkers fascinated by cute dog's disregard for the artist's work

It's an Instagram photo that shows a pug dog urinating on a new graffiti artwork by Banksy in New York's Tribeca neighbourhood.

But it's also a scene that could have come straight from Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, revealing scary truths about contemporary metropolitan society and its unquenchable thirst for social media kudos.

Click here to view pictures of Banksy's 9/11 tribute

The artwork being soiled is a small but powerful tribute to the tragic events of September 11.

According to Gothamist, the owner of the pug wanted a photo of her pet next to the latest piece spawned by the British-born artist's month-long residency in New York.

However, in front of the assembled hipster-azzi, the dog became frightened and began to urinate.

As the pug goes about its business, more than a dozen eager photographers look positively elated as they capture the events on their cameras and smartphone devices.

Reactions to Banksy's New York works have almost been more interesting than the pieces themselves. They've been defaced, painted over, bought at bargain prices and even set up as a ticketed attraction by enterprising locals.

Among Banksy's newer pieces is a graffiti tag in Queens, using the quote from the film Gladiator: "What we do in life echoes in eternity."

On his website, the artist explained his decision to use the well-known sound bite, saying: "Some people criticise me for using sources that are a bit low brow… But you know what? 'I'm just going to use that hostility to make me stronger, not weaker' as Kelly Rowland said on the X Factor."