Katie Betts of Pawprint Marketin Darien, CT, also opted for a tattoo plan she can add to. “This is on my upper left side, as close to my heart that I was willing to put a tattoo. Each heart represents one of my dog. First one in center was for Rita, and then the second is for Dexter… and there’s room for plenty more to be added downwards going side to side.

Sherri DeChaine of Woof! Woof! Pet Boutique & Biscuit Bar in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has a tattoo of her late Boxer, Eva.

Chris Guinn of Dog Krazy stores in Virginia got a tattoo of an iguana who tried to eat wife Nancy’s hand during a vacation in the Bahamas. She has since learned not to hand-feed them mango.

Paige Elder of Buzz n’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop in Erie, PA, wears her bird love on her foot.

Nicci Cammack of NorthPoint Pets & Company in Cheshire, CT, incorporated her dogs’ actual paw prints into these tattoos.

In this tattoo, Keith Henline of Asheville Pet Supply in Asheville, NC, combines the good luck of a horseshoe with a star that symbolizes his focus on pet care and pet wellbeing

Sara Schmalzried of Braden Run Animal Hospital in Waynesburg, PA, share this work of art featuring her rescue pup Louie.

Joe Declet of Fins And Skins in Pinellas Park, FL, put his store logo on a stone tablet being for an octopus to carry. He says, “Was something I had done to commemorate our 5-year anniversary.”

Tammy Vasquez of Bark Life Market in Seminole, FL, got a tattoo of the Schnauzer she calls her “first born.”

Amy Gould Collins of Big Bonz Playcare in Dimondale, MI, shows her love of the Doberman breed.

Houston pet photographer Jill Garrett inked heart dog Chloe on her arm.

Matt Meyer, maker of The Bear and The Rat products with his wife Megan Hanceford Meyer, has a tattoo their co-founder/Lhasa Apso Bear on one arm.

And Rat the Rat Terrier on the other.

Heidi Neal of Loyal Biscuit Co. stores in Maine has this simple yet moving tattoo on her wrist. It represents the collar and tag for Fenway, the heart dog who inspired her company.

Jess Calton, store manager of Chow Hound Pet Supplies in Walker, MI, say, “Apollo was what I call my ‘gateway’ dog. He was the first dog I adopted on my own. He was so incredibly good. I lost him when he was far too young. And ever since him, I have been passionately involved with rescue and adoption.”

Calton says, “Odin was my next adoption. He was the perfect dog. Loved everyone, kids, adults, dogs, cats you name it. He was able to be off leash with me, knew fun tricks like how to yawn on command and ‘Show his chompers.’ He helped foster many kittens and puppies. He was that one special dog we all get to have in our life. He passed about 6 years ago now and I still miss him.”

Calton with her dog Brawnson. “I am a huge Pit Bull advocate, and I wanted something to represent my love for them and the struggle they have.”

Calton adds, “I quoted a line from the theme song of one of my favorite TV shows: ‘Firefly’: “You can’t take the sky from me,” as I feel this represents the struggle and our work. No matter how hard people try to oppress the bully breeds, you can’t take the love out of them and you can’t stop us from fighting for them.”

Calton shares the story behind the paw prints on her arm, which are “the actual paw prints of the four dogs I had at that time. Brawnson, his Pit Bull ‘brother’ Bromley, Pit Bull ‘sister’ Niya (since passed) and our little Chihuahua/Pug/Dachshund mix, Watson. I plan to add our two newest dogs, Arya and Taco, sometime this year.”

Blogger Bryn Nowell’s most treasured ink is a mandala tattoo of her Boston Terrier, Yoda. “He’s not this regal looking in real life, but he is an A+ snuggler,” says Bryn, who runs the website adogwalksintoabar.com.

More animal art adorning Bryn Nowell’s body. “Bean is my first pup and my spirit animal. I didn’t know what my life was missing until she joined us, and I am so glad we’ve had 10 years together.”

Maya sits on the inside of the left arm of Robin Arouty, of Robyn Arouty Photography in Houston, TX, across from a camera inked in a similar style. Together they represent the journey toward a true calling. Arouty adopted the Chinese crested-Jack Russell Terrier mix as a puppy in 1996. She now makes her living as a photographer, specializing in pets and their people. Inspired by 16-plus years with Maya, Arouty got the tattoo that imagined her as a Japanese kokeshi doll, and created Pocketshots, 30-minute sessions with partial proceeds going to animal rescues.

Robin Arouty with Maya.

Pet sitters Michelle and Steven Meyer of Fur Stars Pet Care in Columbus, WI, have a pack of their own, and Alli the Rottweiler-German Shepherd mix reigned over it until she passed last year. “I got the tattoo of her as a queen because she was much more than just a princess,” Meyer says of the design on her calf, complete with crown and scepter.

A closer view of Michelle Meyer’s tattoo of Alli, her late Rottweiler-German Shepherd mix.

Flying M Feed Co. store cat Chaz earned a spot on owner Trace Menchaca’s arm. “I wanted a crazy cat tattoo and came up with this idea,” she says. “It’s one of my favorites!”

On her other arm, Trace Menchaca of Flying M Feed Co has had a coquette-ish heifer inked.

Nancy and Chris Guinn, the couple behind Dog Krazy with multiple outlets in Virginia, have stopped counting their tattoos. “I’m covered in paw prints,” Nancy says. But each have their favorites, and they represent heart dogs or other special pets.

Nancy Guinn paid tribute to Triana the Beagle on her ankle. “I lost her when she was 20,” Nancy says. “She started me on my path to saving all the dogs.”

The most recent addition to Nancy Guinn’s tattoo collection is this one on the back of her shoulder, which features her business logo and honors what she calls “the dog that changed my life”.

For Chris Guinn, a bullmastiff rescue named Nova takes up the most space on his skin. “When she passed away two years, my husband was crushed. I surprised him with the tattoo as a wedding anniversary gift,” Nancy says. “She was the only girl he loved more than he loves me, and I completely understand.”

Pet business consultant Michelle Maskaly of Platinum Horse Media in Lake George, NY, paid tribute to her beloved dog Toby during his treatment for lymphoma. “From the moment I took him home, he changed my life, from where I worked, who my friends were and the life path I would follow,” she says. “A week after Toby permanently became a part of my body, he passed away naturally after his 17-month battle with cancer.” Instead of using a generic paw print, Maskaly used his actual paw as inspiration for the tattoo on her arm. “It even includes all the little hairs between Toby’s pads.”

A close-up view of Michelle Maskaly’s tattoo of Toby’s paw.

Wendy the dachshund has her human’s back, literally. “When I wear a swimsuit, Wendy’s head peeks over,” Christine McAlister of Countryline K9 Grooming in Tupelo, MS, says of the paisley-print tattoo. “I get lots of compliments on her.”

Charlotte Hayward of Frick And Frack Pet Resort in Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, inked her Pug and kitty on her skin.

All you have to do is look at his skin to know the biggest loves of Paul Lewis of Birds Unlimited in Webster, NY. Snapping turtles, for starters. “My first pets were little red-eared sliders my mom got me from the Woolworths pet department,” he says. “They’ve been in and out of my life ever since.” The rest in his tattoo collection feature birds, his biggest passion and life’s work as owner and operator of Birds Unlimited for 26 years.

One of the favorite tattoos of Paul Lewis is the simple feather design on his arm. “It represents life,” he says. “Something so simple yet extraordinary, as without them birds couldn’t fly, stay warm, protect their bodies or find mates.”

Another of Paul Lewis’s tattoos features a bird’s talons.

Unlike all others in this roundup, Bobbette Daugherty does not own a pet business. Instead, her appreciation of one earned her a spot. “Camp Dogwood is my favorite place on earth, and I wanted the tattoo so I could have a little piece of it with me every day,” she says. Daugherty has been sending her dogs to camp since 2005. She inked its logo on her ankle last year and shared it on Facebook with owners Alysa Slay and Dave Eisendrath, who were thrilled to have such a permanent endorsement of their business.