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 [1], 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 [2], 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 [2] 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 [3] and tell us a little about your inspiration. We'll collect our favorites and feature them in a pet tattoo photo gallery [3].
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 [4], 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 [5], 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.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
