It might be a trend that only a devoted animal lover can understand, but many pet owners are taking part in a new body art movement: they are tattooing replicas of their dog's paws on their bodies. For some owners, this is in tribute to their faithful four-legged companion, and for others, it is a memorial for a lost friend.
The kinds of tattoos range from bright, colorful swirling paw prints to prints with birth and death dates to straight up replications of the dog's actual print. Many dog owners are using this opportunity to express their relationship with their dogs through the kind of tattoo they have inked.
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Think this trend isn't for you? Lots of dog owners might agree with you. Carol Bryant was one of those owners, but she changed her mind, and on her 40th birthday, she found herself in a tattoo artist's chair waiting for the pain to begin.
Bryant recounts her thoughts at that moment: "I wondered whether I’d finally lost my last marbles. No, I reminded myself, this is in the name of [my] dog and to gain a permanent piece of a life that is ever so fleeting."
For Bryant, this tattoo would be a representation of her dog's life long after her dog had ceased living. "This intensely personal experience would mark me with indelible ink, to serve as an emblem of honor and love, long after the pitter patter of my dog’s feet traipsed their way across my heart," she writes.
Bryant worried about the pain, but found ultimately in the end, after she lost her dog to liver cancer, that "The physical pain really is temporary and dissipates quicker than the pain of losing your dog."
For some dog owners, the trendy dog print tattoo is the right way for them to celebrate their love, friendship, and memories with one of the best friends they'll ever have. Are paw print tattoos for you? Share your opinions and this story with your family and friends on Facebook.
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