Get a pet-themed tattoo at Divergent Ink, Sioux Falls Area Humane Society event
If loving your pets so much you want to never be away from or without them, why not get a tattoo and support the Sioux Falls Humane Society while you're at it?
That's the thinking behind the Tattoos for Rescues event this month at Divergent Ink.
The event, which will span three days, Aug. 19-21, will raise funds to the local animal shelter. Last year, the fundraiser was held at Independent Body Works in Sioux Falls.
Customers will have a choice of tattoos on four different "flash sheets," created by artists at Divergent Ink. Flash tattoos are simpler tattoos, according to Liz Jacob, owner of Divergent Ink.
More: Sioux Falls Area Humane Society lowers adoption fee in 2021
"We have four pages of flash (sheets) that the customers can choose from, so there's no modifications to them," Jacob said.
Flash sheets include images of dogs, paw prints, cats, ferrets, fish, sugar gliders and more. Shading and coloring can be added to the tattoos at a later date, but not during the Tattoos for Rescues event, Jacob said.
The business expects tattoos to take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, with a three to five-minute window for setup and teardown. Another change this year is a shift to "walk-in only." There will be no appointments.
Last year, there were anywhere from 60 to 90 tattoos given, but there was just one artist tattooing customers with appointment blocks. This year, there will be a minimum of four artists, with the possibility of a guest tattoo artist, Jacob said.
"The whole process to get to the tattoo takes longer than the teardown," Jacob said. "So, we're hoping for an even bigger turnout now that we have more artists."
For the event, tattoos cost $100 plus tax, with $25 going to the Sioux Falls Area Humane Society. It's cash only, and you must be 18 years old with a valid ID. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m. each of the three days.
"We all love tattoos and it's awesome that we're able to get tattoos of animals and raise money for an animal shelter," Dana Konzem, the humane society's community outreach supervisor said.
Within a day of posting the event, nearly 2,000 people responded on Facebook. Divergent Ink is located at 5107 W. 41st St. in Sioux Falls. The tattoo shop has been in business for two years now.
"A lot of people are excited about it. Tattoos are not taboo anymore so it's one of those fun things that we get to be a part of that, especially the younger generation," Konzem said.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls Area Humane Society hosting Tattoos for Rescues
