This year, BARK has upped the ante and doubled the number of dog-obsessed winners to 200.

NEW YORK, August 20, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BARK, Inc. (NYSE: BARK) ("BARK" or the "Company"), a leading global omnichannel dog brand with a mission to make all dogs happy, today announced the kick off of its third-annual National Dog Day tattoo contest. This year, BARK has doubled the number of winners from 100 to 200 dog parents. To enter, participants must submit a photo of their dog with an explanation as to why they are most deserving of the permanent declaration of love. Submissions opened today, August 20, through September 6.

Inspired by the dog-obsessed employees at BARK, many of whom sport ink of their own pups, BARK’s National Dog Day tattoo contest has become a highly anticipated event with submissions increasing year-over-year. In 2023, BARK received over 24K submissions for tattoos compared to 16K in 2022. To continue to celebrate dog parents who want to show their forever love to their dogs, BARK is doubling the number of contest winners.

"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, VP of Brand Marketing at BARK. "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."

Out of the combined 40K submissions from previous years, BARK has uncovered that 17% want a tattoo of their dog because they consider their dog their best friend, and 13% want to get a tattoo honoring a dog that recently passed away. Over 950 entries said they would feel protected having a tattoo of their dog, and over 260 said they would want their first tattoo to be of their dog (sorry mom!).

From the submission data, BARK also determined the top 10 dog breeds that are inspiring their humans to get tattoos and the top cities where they are based.

Top 10 Breeds:

1. Mutts

2. Pitbull

3. Bulldog

4. Labrador Retriever

5. Dachshund

6. Chihuahua

7. Golden Retriever

8. German Shepherd

9. Corgi

10. Pug

10 Most Popular Cities:

1. Chicago

2. Brooklyn

3. Los Angeles

4. Portland

5. Austin

6. Philadelphia

7. San Diego

8. Houston

9. Denver

10. New York

BARK’s National Dog Day tattoo contest winners will receive a $150 Visa card to put towards a dog-inspired tattoo of any style from any artist of their choosing. To view past winner’s tattoos and enter for a chance to win your own, please submit why you want a tattoo of your dog along with photos here.