Hello, I’m Dr. Karin! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my five funny dogs: Poppy, Bailey, Koda, Ned, and Fred.
We all have different ways of expressing ourselves and different ways of honoring or commemorating our pets. For me, part of that expression is through my skin artwork, my tattoos. I got my first tattoo when I was 17 and this was back before they became very mainstream! It’s the most tragic and common Tiger design you can think of, but for a well-behaved, straight student who has never smoked or drank alcohol (anyway!), the Tiger is me It was like my own personal revolution. My older male cousin was horrified to learn that he wasn’t the first in his family to “get ink” and promptly put a red spider on his arm the following week!
They say tattoos are like potato chips – you can’t have just one, but it took me almost a decade to get a second and I’ve had a few more since then. Tattoos aren’t for everyone, but for me, there’s something about their permanence that appeals to me…planning to eventually turn my tragic tiger into something a little more artistic. Even if it is.
Some of my recent additions are homages to my pets, past and present, and my pets when they are still alive with me or using this form of art. I thought it might be better to pay homage to the grieving process.
commemorative pet
When owners put their pets to sleep, we often make footprints of their paws. This will be a recurring service. Often people turn these paw prints into tattoos. I would probably want to have my pet paws in life instead of dying with these marks to remind me of happier times, not the worst.
At the moment, there are two of each.
My first pet-related tattoo is for my weird and wonderful cat, Clutch. Although it’s a simple design, it’s still one of my favorites. Continuing the cat theme is my tumble cat. 5 colors for my 5 cats. These are all “happy tattoos” unlike the next one.
I have two tattoos in memory of the dogs who have had the greatest impact on my life as pets. Potato (Tate) has been with me for 18 months. He was already 10 years old when he came to live with me, and although he wasn’t going to stay more than a few days until we found him a permanent home, his amazing Character, love, and funny little ways have brought light to my life that have helped me through some of my darkest times and reminded me what joy is. Devastated is simply not a good enough word when Tate suddenly passed away in December 2022.
There were a few things that helped me through that period. One was Ned in a very small form, and the other was like my heart, where I could permanently write his name on my skin.
As I write this, I want to create art for my skin that celebrates my pets as they are in my life. I don’t want my tattoo to be a reminder of their death. We know the last thing we want to think about is the end of our pet’s life, but if there’s a special way you want to remember your pet, you can be linked to them in life. You might want to think about doing something, something that will bring a smile to your face and bring you back to the perfect memory when they are gone. How you do it is up to you, but I know I’m going to get more ink!
Is there a special way to celebrate or honor a pet, past or present? Photographs, paintings, or perhaps like mine, tattoos are your thing. I’d love to hear from you.
This article is part of Dr. Karin’s series with 5 dogs.
