Dog Ashes Tattoo

Commemorating Dogs

Dog owners always have a special place in their hearts for their dog. We chose them as a puppy, brought them through their terrible teens (where they ate everything they could and destroyed bits of furniture), and watched them grow into the kind of companion you can’t imagine the house without. We then looked after them as they aged, slowly, and we noticed the slower walks, the longer naps, the white showing up around their muzzle.

We know it’s going to happen one day. Dogs usually pass before their owners do, and somewhere in the back of our minds we carry that. But most of us try our best to push the thought of that day off for another tomorrow, and another tomorrow after that.

Dogs Steal Our Hearts

They do. Dogs steal our hearts because they hand theirs to us, completely, with no conditions. The wagging tail when you walk through the door. The way they’re always glad to see you, even when you’ve only been gone five minutes. To them, every moment with their person is the best time in the world. And even the old timer, when they can no longer get up to greet you, has a wagging tail when you come into the room.

But you know, somewhere in that wagging tail, that time is ticking.

Our Best Friends

And why not put off the last day? One more stolen day with your best friend is another good day. So when the call from the vet finally comes, or you have to make the decision yourself for the better of the dog, it makes complete sense that owners grieve so deeply. Even when we knew it was coming. Even when we knew it was the right thing to do.

The shadow that followed you around the house. Their little quirks that used to drive you mad. The way they always knew, somehow, when you were having a bad day. When all of that’s suddenly gone, the quiet they leave behind is a hard memory to replace.

It’s why so many owners turn to a dog ashes tattoo. Not because a tattoo replaces them. Nothing replaces them. But because it lets you keep a small, real part of them with you, somewhere you’ll see it every day for the rest of your life.

Hard Decisions

Never beat yourself up for making a hard decision. As long as what you chose was in the best interest of your dog, then you did the right thing, however hard it felt at the time. As so many dog owners say once their dog has passed, they’ve simply moved over to the rainbow bridge, off to the eternal park with every toy they could ever chase, an eternity of mayhem and naps in the sun.

That image helps a lot of people, including us. It softens what was an awful day at the vet into something gentler. A dog who’s run free of pain, off doing what dogs do best.

When you’re ready, the next thing to think about is how you’d like to remember them.

Dog Ashes

There are choices to make about your dog’s remains. You can bury them, you can have them cremated, and (now more widely available) there’s a third option called aquamation, a gentler, water-based alternative to traditional cremation that speeds up the natural decomposition process from years into hours.

Whichever you choose, what you’re left with is the same: ashes. From there, the choice of what to do with them is yours. Many people scatter them somewhere their dog loved. Many keep them in an urn at home. And a growing number choose a memorial tattoo made with the ashes infused into the ink, so a small part of their dog stays with them forever.

When that’s the choice you’d like to make, a small amount of your dog’s ashes (just a tablespoon) is sent to us. We process them, making sure they’re safe, sterile and inert, free of the trace contaminants that still sit in cremation remains. We only ever work with one set of ashes at any one time, so you know your dog’s ashes are kept safe and treated with the respect they deserve. The full process is explained here, and there’s more on dog ashes into tattoo ink if you’d like a fuller picture of the ink side.

What you can expect from us and get:

• Respectful handling at every stage
• Professional preparation in a UK lab
• Experts who have been doing this for over twenty years
• Safe, sterile, ready-to-use tattoo ink
• International shipping, tracked
• Best practice followed throughout

Dog Ashes Tattoo Inks

Your dog’s ashes are infused into a very high quality tattoo ink, the same ink that’s used by tattooists all over the world for their professional work. Wherever you live, you can take your finished bottle of tattoo ink with ashes from us into your local tattoo studio and get a dog ashes tattoo that you’re proud of. Not only the memory of your dog, but a true, physical part of them, with you for the rest of your life.

The ink itself is bright, vibrant, and built to last. It heals like any quality tattoo, resists UV fading, and gives your artist full creative freedom for whatever design you’ve got in mind. There’s nothing for your artist to do differently. They just open the bottle and tattoo you with it the same as any other professional ink. Our sister studio Bubblegum Ink has done plenty of dog ashes tattoos done in their studio.

Design Ideas For Your Dog Ashes Tattoo

If you’re still working out what design you want, here are some of the ideas our clients most often choose. There’s no right answer, only what feels true to your dog.

A paw print. The most popular choice, and rightfully so. Most pet crematoriums will take a paw print before cremation if you ask, and your artist can recreate it perfectly. Bespoke, simple, unmistakably theirs.

A portrait. A small face is often enough. Done by an artist who specialises in pet portraits, it’ll stop you in your tracks every time you catch it in the mirror.

Their name. Sometimes the simplest tribute is the truest. Their name in clean lettering says everything.

Dates. The year you brought them home, the year you said goodbye. Two small numbers that say a lot.

A favourite shape. The curve of their ear, the line of their tail, the outline of their breed. Simple silhouettes can be deeply moving.

A favourite place. The path you walked, the bench you sat on, the tree they always headed for. A small landscape with their paw print works beautifully.

For more inspiration, our memorial tattoo designs page has more ideas, and the dog memorial tattoo page goes into design thinking in more depth.

The Last Word

A dog ashes tattoo isn’t about decoration. It’s about keeping the friend who chose you with you, in a real way, for the rest of your life. They went everywhere with you when they were here. With ink that holds a small part of them in it, they keep doing that.

When you feel ready, you can order your inks here. We’ll send out a kit, walk you through how much we need and how to pack it, and look after the rest. Or get in touch if you’d like to talk it over first. Your local artist takes care of the design. Your best friend stays with you, for good.

Dog Ashes Tattoo FAQs

What is a dog ashes tattoo?

A dog ashes tattoo is a memorial tattoo done with ink that holds a small amount of your dog’s cremation ashes infused into it. Cremation Ink ® cleans and sterilises the ashes in our UK lab, then bonds them into high quality professional tattoo pigment so the finished bottle is ready for your local tattoo artist to use. Your best friend stays with you, on your own skin, for life.

Is it safe to put a dog’s ashes in a tattoo?

Yes, when the ink has been prepared properly. The risk people occasionally read about online comes from raw cremation ashes being tipped into ink at a studio, which is a different scenario entirely. Cremation Ink ® removes heavy metals, medicinal residue and other contaminants from the ashes in our UK lab, fully sterilises them, and bonds them into the pigment at a molecular level before the bottle ever leaves us. By the time it reaches your tattoo artist, the ink is safe to use under the skin and the tattoo heals exactly like any other quality tattoo.

Can my tattoo studio just mix the dog ashes into ink themselves?

Any reputable tattoo studio would never put raw ashes straight into ink at the counter. A studio is not built for the lab work involved in preparing cremation remains, and doing this work in a tattoo studio is not safe for the client. Cremation Ink ® was set up specifically as the UK-based specialist that handles this work properly, so the bottle that reaches your artist is already prepared. Your artist focuses on creating the tattoo, and the ashes side is taken care of by us before they even open the lid.

How much of my dog’s ashes do you need?

About a tablespoon per bottle of dog ashes tattoo ink. The rest stays with you, and any ashes Cremation Ink ® does not use in the infusion process are returned to you alongside the finished bottle. We only ever work with one set of ashes at a time per technician, so your dog is treated with the respect they deserve at every stage.

What designs work best for a dog ashes tattoo?

The most popular is a paw print, taken at the pet crematorium before cremation if you ask, then recreated by your tattoo artist using the Cremation Ink ® ashes tattoo ink. Other lovely options are a small portrait of their face, their name in clean lettering, their breed silhouette, the dates of their life, or a favourite walking spot you used to share. The most meaningful designs are the ones that feel true to the dog you knew, so go with what speaks to you.

Can I get a paw print taken after my dog has passed?

Yes, in most cases. Most pet crematoriums offer this service if you ask, either as an ink print, a clay impression, or both. The print can then be scanned by your tattoo artist so the original stays safely at home with you, and the artist recreates it with Cremation Ink ® ashes tattoo ink for the final design.

How long does the process take?

Once your dog’s ashes arrive at Cremation Ink ®, the finished ashes tattoo ink is usually ready in around five to nine days, depending on lab workload at the time. We then post it back to you tracked and signed for, anywhere in the world. From there it is just a matter of booking in with your chosen tattoo artist.

Can my own local tattoo artist do it?

Yes, that is the whole point of Cremation Ink ®. The bottle behaves exactly like any other quality professional tattoo ink in your artist’s machine. They simply pour it into their ink pot and tattoo as they normally would. No specialist required, because the specialist work has already been done by us before the bottle reaches them.

Will the dog ashes tattoo heal like a normal tattoo?

Yes. Because Cremation Ink ® has properly cleaned, sterilised and infused the ashes into the pigment before the bottle leaves the lab, the tattoo heals exactly like any other quality professional tattoo. Standard aftercare from your artist applies, with no special handling needed.

Does Cremation Ink ® ship dog ashes tattoo ink worldwide?

Yes, anywhere we can post a tracked, signed-for parcel. We have supplied dog ashes tattoo ink to clients on every populated continent. Wherever you live, the bottle can reach you, and your favourite local tattoo artist creates the dog memorial tattoo near you.