WYOMING/WEST WYOMING NEWS

ANSWERS ON PAGE 9

First Posted: 8/7/2013 An upstart tattoo shop showed off its softer side last Sunday.
Taste of Ink hosted &#8220;Ink for Animals,&#8221; an awareness event encouraging the adoption of rescued pit bulls and pit bull mixes with some extra incentive: a discount on a future tattoo or piercing.
It was the Plains&#8217; tattoo and piercing parlor&#8217;s first foray into fundraising work, something co-owners Corrine Phillips and Casey Cavello, both Pittston Area High School graduates, knew they wanted to do from the very beginning.
&#8220;We wanted our first event to have a great impact and have it be something close to all of our hearts,&#8221; Phillips said. &#8220;We knew for this first event we wanted to work specifically with an animal rescue since we&#8217;re all huge animal lovers, she said. &#8220;We wanted to make sure that the artists and staff employed with us had the same objectives. It&#8217;s something very important to all of us involved.&#8221;
For the day-long event, ownership sought out A Positive Promise Pit Bull Foundation, a local non-profit which rescues pit bulls and places them in homes with responsible owners. The organization also educates owners throughout the adoption process as well as provides extensive background checks to ensure the rescues end up in good hands.
&#8220;We contacted them about what we wanted to do for the event and they were really receptive,&#8221; Cavello said.
Additionally, A Positive Promise operates as a &#8220;force free&#8221; organization which uses positive reinforcement rather than physical force in its training.
&#8220;We teach people how to socialize dogs to avoid any types of bad behavior or bad introductions to people or other dogs,&#8221; Positive Promise co-founder Christine Moskowicz said.
Formerly the Luzerne County Pit Bull Owners, the organization was created in February 2011 by Moskowicz and co-founder Alison Santiago. They re-branded in July of this year to the current moniker.
&#8220;We really all go the extra mile to make sure they get into great homes,&#8221; volunteer Melanie Yelland said.
That extra mile includes free programs like Pit Bull Parenting 101, a seminar to further educate the public and owners on the background of pit bulls, including common misconceptions about the breed.
&#8220;Education is just as important to us as anything else,&#8221; Moskowicz said.
But it wasn&#8217;t all education on Sunday.
Entertainment was provided in the form of music by Black Diamond and ex-members of Goodbye Soundscape, Jeremy Romani and Taste of Ink Shop Mananger Frank Polumbo, also a graduate of Pittston Area.
Phillips said the trio, who are longtime friends, want to make a mark in the area &#8211; already loaded with several touted shops &#8211; by bringing in artists Jen O&#8217;Hop and Bob Shock as well as piercer Nick Cerulli.
&#8220;We&#8217;re a huge fan of tattoos and NEPA has some of the greatest artists around,&#8221; she said. &#8220;There are so many unknown artists looking for a break into the business and we wanted to have a hand in that.&#8221;
Now that they got their first taste, Phillips said the business has no plans to stop hosting charity events.
&#8220;There will be events happening monthly,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They&#8217;ll all involve a local cause or charity in some way.&#8221;

Getting inked and helping animals