Something new to think about the next time you go into a tattoo parlor could be what pic of my pet dog do I want to ink on my arm? A popular trend in the age old practice of tattooing is adorning pet owners with photos, drawing and illustrations of their    dogs, cats, birds and even horses. But why would someone want to permanently mark themselves of with pics of their four-legged friend? Simple. Your favorite fish dies or you lost a dog that had been in the family for years. The tattoo serves as a remembrance. People show their respects by tattooing themselves. The same way a person might with their loved ones. Because of sentimental attachment the concept is shared by pet owners as well.

In addition to memorializing a bereaved family member, there are also people that embrace animal skin art for their aesthetic value. The pit bull has increasingly become a  very popular tattoo because of its symbolic relation to illegal dog fighting or its representation to fierceness or bravery. Other tattoos are just fun and depict a certain characteristic of the pets personality.

According to an article in tattoo.com, there are actually meanings behind animal tattoos. Horse tattoos represent beauty, intelligence, and gracefulness. Owners of frogs, yes frogs, may tat themselves up as a symbols of harmony, life and fertility. One pet tattoo that is also commonly inked is the snake. Snakes are worshiped by many cultures and can mean many different things. They can mean danger, power, death and even healing. Many people tend to associate these illustrations with evil and darkness. Bird tattoos, depending on the type of bird, hold several meanings. Throughout history ravens have served as messengers hence they are referred to as “God messengers.” Doves mean Christianity, peace and hope. Eagles mean spiritual growth. The hummingbird can  mean hoarding and are used as love charms.

No matter what your reason may be, pet tattoos represent more than what the eye may see. A friend of mine has a tattoo of his pet dog that he had when he was younger. The dog ran away when he was a little boy and he never forgot how much fun he had with that dog. So as a tribute to the times that they shared together, my friend tattooed himself as a loving memory to his missing dog. When it comes to pet tattoos there is more than what meets the eye. They quietly reveal how special these animals are to their owners and how the pets represent who the owner is as a person.