MANITOUWADGE, Ont. – Miss Jackie needs some TLVC – that’s tender loving vet care. This little kitty’s lower body suddenly and mysteriously became paralyzed on Friday, and will need some urgent treatment from the travelling veterinarian.
Sophie Gray, the owner of both Miss Jackie and Extreme Action Tattoo in Manitouwadge, decided to enlist the help of the community to raise funds for her cat’s treatment, as well as potentially help the local animal shelter, with a sale held at her salon.
Sophie, her husband, their two children and two cats moved to Northern Ontario earlier this year to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
She started as an apprentice at Artistic Impressions in Niagara Falls for two years, before moving on to Tattoo Place and Inksplosion to master her skills. October 27th will mark her 12th year as a tattoo artist.
Gray passed all inspections in June of this year, when she first opened the shop at 31 Shabandowan avenue, behind ‘Bitz ‘n Bobz’.
On Monday, the salon offered pet-themed tattoos as part of the fundraiser. For $50, residents could choose from a selection of designs: paw prints, kitty ears, bones, and outlines of dogs, cats, and even a hamster were available. A donation to the Manitouwadge Animal Shelter secured a discount of $10.
The money raised during the fundraiser was intended to cover Miss Jackie’s care, with additional proceeds going to the animal shelter.
Gray reported the community helped raise $500 toward the cause on Monday. She expressed gratitude for the donations made, and hoped those who got tattoos will enjoy a permanent reminder of their love for animal companions.
Residents can make a donation to the Manitouwadge Animal Shelter through its Facebook page.
Extreme Action Tattoo is fully licensed and inspected and all instruments are single use and disposable, so there is no need for an autoclave, Gray said. All non-disposable equipment is sterilized with Ethelene Oxide (EO) gas and disinfectant wipes.
Gray has taken on an apprentice of her own now, too. Jess, originally from Windsor, moved to the north just after Covid, sharing her time between Manitouwadge and Thunder Bay. Jess has been working with Sophie for two months, and it’s been a real learning experience.
The most popular tattoo requests are for fine line detail images or memorials, such as names or angel wings, to honor someone who has passed away. Black and grey is most popular and Sophie’s preference, but she loves to do detailed work with vivid colours as well, but they take much more time. Most pieces only take a few minutes, maybe even mere seconds! A recent tattoo, consisting of a single word, ‘Chaos’, took her a lightening fast 46 seconds.
