Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my five funny dogs, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.
We all have different ways of expressing ourselves and different ways of honoring or memorializing our pets. For me, part of that expression is through artwork on the skin: tattoos. When I was 17, I got my very first tattoo, and this was back before they became very mainstream! It is the most tragic, generic tiger design you can think of, but for a well-behaved, straight-A student who never smoked, or drank alcohol (back then anyway!), that tiger was like my own personal revolution. My older male cousin was horrified to learn that he was not the first in the family to ‘get ink’, and promptly got himself a redback spider tattooed on his arm the following week!
They say that tattoos are like potato chips—you can never have just one, but it would be almost a decade before I got a second, and there have been several more since. Tattoos aren’t for everyone, but for me, there’s something about their permanence that appeals to me…even if I am planning to eventually turn my tragic tiger into something a little more artistic.
Some of my more recent additions have been an homage to my pets, past and present, and it made me wonder if it is better to pay tattooed tribute to my pets when they are still alive with me or use this form of art as part of the grieving process.
Memorializing Pets
When owners have their pets put to sleep, we will often make imprints of their paws, something that has become a regularly offered service. Quite often, people will have these paw prints turned into tattoos. I started to think that perhaps I would like to get paw prints of my pets in life, rather than having those marks made in death, so that I would be reminded of happier times rather than the worst.
At the moment, I have two of each.
My first pet-related tattoo is for my weird and wonderful cat, Clutch – who is still very much alive as I write this. A simple design, but still one of my favorites. Continuing on the feline theme is my tumbling cat; five colors for my five felines. These are all ‘happy tattoos’, unlike the next ones.
I have two tattoos in remembrance of the dog that had the greatest impact on my life of any pet – possibly any individual. Potato (Tate) was only with me for 18 months. He was already 10 years old when he came to live with me, and he was never meant to stay more than a few days until we found him a permanent home, but his amazing personality, affection, and funny little ways brought a light into my life that helped me through some of my darkest times, and reminded me what joy was. When Tate died suddenly in December 2022, devastated simply isn’t a strong enough word.
There were a couple of things that helped me through that period. One came in the very small form of Ned, and the other was being able to have his name drawn permanently on my skin, just as it is on my heart.
As I write this I know that going forward I want to create art for my skin that celebrates my pets as they are in life; I don’t want my tattoos to remind me of their death. I know that the last thing we want to think about is the end of our pets’ lives, but if you have a special way you like to remember your pets, you might want to think about doing something that will be linked to them in life, something that will bring a smile to your face and take you back to some perfect memory when they are gone. How you do that is up to you, but I do know that I’m about to get a lot more ink!
Do you have any special ways you celebrate or pay tribute to your pets, past or present? Photographs, paintings, or perhaps, like me, tattoos are your thing. I would love to hear from you.
This article is a part of Dr. Karyn’s series with her five dogs.
