Tattoos With a Cause

Look no further, Smooches From Pooches is back! After several years off because of COVID-19, Greenhill Humane Society and Whiteaker Tattoo Collective are coming together again for a fundraising event, this Friday, Sept. 26. It will also be the first stop of the Whiteaker Last Friday Art Walk, a monthly walk around the neighborhood to support local businesses and artists. According to Suzen Tattoozen, the owner of Whiteaker Tattoo Collective, Smooches from Pooches was their most popular event before it was interrupted by COVID. This year, they will offer a Doggy Kissing Booth, where attendees can use pocket change to give dogs a treat for a smooch. For $10, Suzen Tattoozen says you can buy a coupon for “seven minutes in doggy heaven,” which will allow you into a gated area to play with several dogs. Greenhill Humane Society also plans to bring two adoptable dogs for everyone to meet. Tattoozen says that four tattoo artists are offering a wide range of flash designs at the event. These include puppy and kitty designs, and even more general flashes such as aquatic and even PNW designs. “It’s always stuff that’s probably the size of a hand or smaller,” she says. Whiteaker Tattoo has already been fundraising, with 25 percent of proceeds from designated flash tattoos currently going toward Greenhill until the end of the event on Friday. “It’s always neat for me in outreach to be able to see how people get creative with fundraising for Greenhill, and this is a perfect example,” says Kelly Fleischmann, the community engagement manager of Greenhill.

Smooches From Pooches is 5 pm to 8 pm, Friday, Sept. 26, at Whiteaker Tattoo Collective, 995 West 7th Avenue. Admission is free but there is a charge for tattoos, swag and pet adoptions. For more information call Whiteaker Tattoo at 541-255-2734 or call Greenhill Humane Society at (541) 689-1503 or visit Green-Hill.org.

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