I recently had the pleasure of writing a story about people with dog-inspired tattoos. I'd seen two pug tattoos while researching my book, Dog Park Wisdom, and was curious if, outside my tattoo-free cocoon, this was common.

I emailed friends and they emailed friends, and I soon discovered that if you push back the sleeve (lift up the shirt, roll up the pant leg, etc.) of an animal-loving, tattoo-appreciating Seattleite -- and don't get arrested -- there's a good chance you'll find a "permanent" tribute to a favorite pet. I saw tats that ran the gamut from photo-realistic portraits and cartoon renderings to stylized names, paw prints and abstract mementos.

Many of the tattooees I talked to were from our very own ink-rich hometown. They included baristas, dog trainers, pet supply shop owners, dog massage therapists and the owner of a trendy boutique. Along the way, I have become a little obsessed with the whole thing.

The tattoo I've posted here features a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, magnificently named Maximus Fun Boy (Max, for short) inked onto the right calf of Robin Olivarez. She got Max on her 40th birthday after begging for a Corgi for years. "He is my once-in-a-lifetime dog," Olivarez told me. "He is so adaptable, goes everywhere...and is just so steady. Max always makes me feel better. No matter how crappy a day I have had, he always makes me laugh."

She got the tattoo because she'd been thinking about five-year-old Max's mortality. "I want him with me forever," she says. "Also, I tell people (including my husband) that his is the only man's name I will ever have tattooed on me because I know we will never break up!" You gotta love that logic.

Tattoo artist Ed Lott at Slave to the Needle in Wallingford tattooed the ten-inch portrait onto Oliveraz's calf in about four-and-a-half hours. The first two hours weren't bad. The second two and a half hours was some serious pain. "But it was so worth it," she says. "Everywhere I go I get compliments on my tattoo, even from people who don't like tattoos. It's kind of cute too that the tattoo is right at Max's eye level. I catch him looking at it from time to time, and he even licks it (and he is not a licker), so I think he likes it too!"

Have you got a furred, finned or feathered pet tattoo you'd like to share with us? E-mail it to petdish@nwsource.com and tell us a little about your inspiration. We'll collect our favorites and feature them in a pet tattoo photo gallery.

And folks in the Portland area who've been jonesing for a companion animal tattoo, you want to take the leap now. As part of Tats for Cats...and Dogs, for the rest of May, more than 50 Portland-area artists will contribute 10 percent of the fees from animal-inspired tattoos to DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital's Stray Animal and Wildlife Program, which helps cover the cost of treatment for injured and sick animals with no guardians to help. And as soon as some Seattle-area group copies this cool idea up here (hint-hint), I'll get back on the bandwagon.

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