Pet-Obsessed Woman Tattoos Animal Ashes Into Her Skin: ‘I Get to Carry Them With Me Forever’
Alexandra Ashe is an animal lover, but her passion for her pets runs deeper than surface level. So deep, in fact, that Ashe has the remains of her beloved pets permanently tattooed onto her skin so they can "always be with her."
The 35-year-old, who lives with more than 50 rescue animals in a remodeled home, has two "cremation tattoos" honoring her late tabby cat and pet fox.
According to The Mirror, the ashes of Ashe's late cat Lamb are tattooed onto her right arm, while the remains of her precious three-legged fox Matilda are tattooed onto her chest, right next to her heart.
"Having Lamb and Matilda's ashes tattooed into my skin means I get to carry them with me forever," Ashe told the tabloid, calling her body an artistic "love letter" to her many pets and rescue animals.
Ashe was heartbroken about the sudden passing of her pet fox in 2016, but the second blow came after her beloved 12-year-old cat suddenly passed away from a brain tumor.
"A year after joining college, I got Lamb as a kitten from a rescue shelter in July 2007, and she gave me purpose and something to come home to," Ashe said.
At the time, Ashe was addicted to heroin. Lamb quickly became a supportive part of her journey toward sobriety and recovery.
"There is something so magical and unconditional about creatures that humans just don't have, that I really treasure. Every one of my tattoos means something to me and has a story," Ashe continued, revealing she first decided to get "cremation tattoos" in 2019 following the recommendation from a friend.
"When my friend told me about her cremation tattoo for her dog, my mind was blown. I had never heard of anything like it," Ashe continued. One week later, she was in a tattoo parlor.
"I will do it again. It is such a big part of the grieving process and means so much to me," Ashe, whose family nicknamed her Dolittle after the 1967 comedy film Doctor Dolittle, said.
Ashe added she has received so much love and support from her animals over the years, she hopes to give back to them as well: "I am on a mission to ensure these animals have the best care possible."