Giveaway Contest Offers Free Tattoos of Man's Best Friend

Considering that dogs love us unconditionally , it's hardly a surprise that many dog owners want to commemorate their furry friends with a permanent declaration of their own love in return. That's why BARK, the company behind the monthly subscription service BarkBox, has launched its third annual tattoo giveaway contest to give away free dog-inspired tattoos to humans around the country.

The contest, which launched on Aug. 20 in conjunction with National Dog Day, will run through Sept. 6, 2024. To enter, participants must simply submit a photo of their dog along with a short essay about why they are most deserving to have their pup permanently inked on their body. Winners will receive a prepaid $150 gift card to use for an artist of their choice.

For the third year of the giveaway, Bark has doubled the number of winners from 100 to 200, after the 2022 contest received 16,000 submissions and last year's giveaway jumped to 24,000. The contest was inspired primarily by BARK's own dog-obsessed employees, many of whom sport tattoos inspired by their own fur babies.

"Each year we’ve awarded 100 dog parents with tattoos and we continue to be amazed by the volume and the heartwarming essays we receive," said Dave Stangle, BARK vice president of brand marketing, in a statement . "At BARK, we’re a team of dog people that want to do everything with dogs and for dogs, so we get it. We’ve received so many submissions over the years, we knew we had to help even more dog-obsessed people get their dream tattoo."

Among the revelations the company has gleaned from previous years submissions includes that 17 percent of participants want a tattoo of their dog because they consider their dog their best friend, while 13 percent want a tattoo to honor a dog that has recently passed away. Additionally, 950 people have said that they would feel protected having a tattoo of their dog and more than 260 say they want their first tattoo to be of their dog.

Head over to BARK to enter the contest for free , and you can see the top 10 dog breeds that have inspired their humans to get tattoos, below.

1. Mutts
   
2. Pitbull
   
3. Bulldog
   
4. Labrador Retriever
5. Dachshund
6. Chihuahua
7. Golden Retriever
8. German Shepherd
9. Corgi
10. Pug