They’re covered in tattoos and have scary biker names, but these bad boys were born to be mild. They’re the men of Rescue Ink, and as profiled in the New York Times, they speak out against animal abuse and find loving homes for abused animals all over the Big Apple. They’re not vigilantes, as they’re quick to point out, but they’ll get in an abuser’s face as much as the law allows — and they can be very persuasive.
See all photos and the full story over at the New York Times. Badass submishe, Paul K.
Awwwww!
Bleen?
And I think that would make a most excellent tattoo for the bad-ass/heart-of-gold biker dude!
I wish these guys had a television show.
yay, big tough guys rescuing and snorgling cute kittehs and puppehs!
new models for the “men of cute overload* calendar!
That second picture is SO Marc Antony and Pussyfoot. AWESOME. Good for them!
What wonderful men! Here’s proof that you can be a tough guy and still a sweetie
Love love love them!
Now those are real men!
these guys were on Ellen.
Now, those are my kinda men. (“gentlemen” I mean, that’s right) Luv It!
P.S. Mike Tattoo – tattooed, biker, animal rescuer, AND vegetarian? Be still my heart!
The 2nd pic with the big guy and the little kitty head popping out of his chest just kills me.
@exene – I’m with you. Somewhere, there’s a great FOX, A&E or Animal Planet show hidden in this concept.
I’m with Exene – I would absolutely watch a tv show about these guys. What a good hearted bunch of guys!
I read this article this morning in the paper and annoyed my boyfriend every two seconds reading quotes from it. Several of my favorites had to do with Des’ kitten and other animals, but I also liked when the 74-year-old guy declared (paraphrase) “I can lift 100 pounds. With my neck.”
What awesome guys.
These guys have myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/rescueink
or visit their own site
http://www.recueink.org
gitcher motor runni–OMG! PUPPIES!
KITTYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! I’ll take it!
LOL @ gitcher! That sums it up right there! Well done. Gosh, can you just see one of these guys saying that in the way we all think it? Ah, I’ll never get that image out of my head now.
Check out the other photos that go along with the story. Awesome! (There’s something about a big ol’ man getting all gooshy over an animal that just makes me wanna awwwwwww!
This is my fave shot from the Times Slideshow:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/08/22/nyregion/082408-Petnap_9.html
Kitteh is all “mee…allgh?”
Awesome, I love it! I totally agree they should have a show, I would watch it in a heartbeat!
Ahn.
wonderful! I love it! They are great and doing great things!!!!!!!!
These guys are awesome! I love the fact that they give people help to do whats best for the dog – like building dog houses and helping with shots and spaying, as well as doing the big scary thing.
These guys are so awesome that they brought a tear to my eye.
in the second picture, the blurry guy on the right sooo looks like bruce willis. i bet they had to use a ton of makeup on bruce in die hard to cover up all of those tattoos.
and the one in the back.. he’s thinking- “noone’s looking, are they? snorgle time!!!”
Marry me?
I dig teh qte!
/Has no tattoos though
“Rescue Ink…advised the owner of the lot that the dog house, seen against the brick wall, needed more shade.”
If any of those guys told me to shade my dog more, I’d personally walk around him with an umbrella.
the hover text on the first picture? BEST EVAH!
i have plenty of tattoos and these dudes still intimidate me just a little.
that’s when this phrase applies! “never judge a book by its cover”
/cheese
Bikers kick a**!!!!
I love these men. Seriously.
Those guys are awesome. Most bikers are the grizzled-with-a-heart-of-gold type (I meet a surprising amonut of them), but these guys are especially awesome. X3
LOVE!
Yay! I sent this in too. I’m so glad you posted it, because I knew it was the purrfect submishe for CO.
Did you see the chubulence on those puppehs?
DED!
Oh – I also thought this should be a new rule.
Rule of Cuteness #41: When scary-looking tattoo dudes hold kittehs and puppehs, it’s cute.
Angela-Eloise, I am yet another who sent this one in. While reading I was thinking, “Every other Cuteologist is thinking the exact same thing right now: Chub! AND Paws UP! AND Looking Helpless! Must… send… now!”
YEAH, a reality show that would actually benefit to someone. I would definitely watch that!!!
I hate to admit it, but what I like best is that these guys can probably pull off what the rest of us WISH we could do to animal abusers/neglecters….scare the crap out of them!!
Even the Animal Planet Humane Society folks have to be so legal and PC with offenders they catch. You know these guys probably “take care of business” when necessary.
Good for them.
Yipe. I’m in love.
Think they’ve got a UK branch?
As we all know, noone but noone can resist the POWER of TEH CUTE.
Evil aliens land? handem a kitten.
The Russian threaten? hear’s a Puppy.
Mad Dr Megadeath wants to zap the world with his Zoink Ray? can I introduce you to Winston?
See, no problemo.
Great work Guys – Just shows that we all have a soft place in our hearts for the weak and helpless
Wow – GREAT story! So inspirational.
Animal Planet should follow these guys around!
CuteOverload: We can lift 100 pounds. With our neck.
REAL strength = COMPASSION and LOVE.
Bravo to these guys. May their influence reach far, wide, and deep. It’s (way past) time for ZERO TOLERANCE for these wackos who hurt the blameless. I say vaporize ‘em.
Des, if you’re out there, you and me gotta talk.
*BIG PROPS!*
This story was just what I needed. Yay for the men of Rescue Ink!
I agree with Meg on pic #9!!!
The kitteh!! The delikit MITTEN POAWS!!! And it’s really, REALLY tough to be a tattooed badass when you’re holding a fuzzy kitten but he pulled it off! (The mushpot!!)
I…I think I have something in my eye!
Oh, and the pit pups! Those were cute, too!
Oh, man, I’m tearing up here… This is so awesome!
and I totally agree with the hover text for the first image. ^_^
HOW MUCH DO WE LOVE RESCUE INK.
I wanna make a quick trip across the Hudson to NYC (I live 20 minutes away in NJ) and give ‘em all a big fat hug!!!!
This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen! I’ve never commented before, but this totally deserves a kudos!
Awwwww!
Big men with big hearts. What a concept.
This brought a tear to my eye.
They do the tattooed and pierced among us proud.
That is hands down the BEST POST EVER. I am in LOVE with these guys!!!
Interspecies snorgling. HAHAHA. Are the bikers a different “species” than us? lol
How cute is that photo of the great big guy with the little bitty kitten?
As far as I’m concerned people who abuse animals do deserve to get the crap scared out of them and more.
omg the hover text on the second picture….ROFL
Hey, their “meeting place” is right near where I live and work! They are awesome, and I love that they’re going into schools.
Those tough dudes with the teeny kitties and puppies, doing such great things – they’ll be in that special place in heaven along with baby duck catchers and all those other wonderful folk who take care of vulnerable animals.
aaahhh I love this! thanks for posting.
@ Meg and Juniper–Agree that pic number 9 is purr-fect. I think the kitteh is actually thinking “So do I get to be leader of the gang? I’m a bad-ass too!”
I’m saving and printing out these pictures so that the next time some snob-arsed upper class “I only date men in suits with 6 figure salaries” DARES to question why I love big guys with tats (I married one after all), I can show her.
Because they’re good people. You should see my big tattooed guy with our cats.
These guys are teh awesome.
Okay…this restores my faith in humanity! =)
That is amazing and fantastic, and it warms the heart to read about men doing something for the community, and in a way that a lot of organizations can’t do, or aren’t allowed to do because there’s so much bureaucracy involved. Lovely, just lovely.
Ahhhhnnn love the big dude with the tiny kitten and the most blissful of smiles. <3
On further inspection, this is the sweetest thing ever.
That is AMAZING! Love it.
This may possibly be the most brilliant thing ever posted to CO. Stheriously.
Yes, I do agree with everybody that this is one of the cutest posts I’ve ever read about or seen on this website, but how about some people donating money, food or supplies to these men to keep doing their great work? How about a post on how to help these selfless men out? So they can rescue even more animals in need?
OMG! Who do we storm with letters about a show?!
Nothing sexier than a big tough guy turned to mush by a tiny furball.
Nothing sexier than a big tough guy turned to mush by a tiny furball.
Oh, man. These guys are my definition of a class act–bikes, tattoos, and all.
@ L: I think you’re preaching to the choir here.
L, click on the link to their website and it has all the information you need for donating and helping out.
<3 <3 <3
Yay Vampy!
These guys are great!
The more pictures and publicity/shows
the better–biker gangs in other cities might look at this…
Rainbow Bridge better get reinforced for heavier traffic…
I confess, I have always been intimidated by big, tattooed (sp?) biker guys. They’re awesome!!!!!!!!
@Angela: I agree. I think a new rule is appropriate.
Rule #41: Something big and [a little] scary taking care of something small and helpless… is CUTE!
like that tiger who adopted the pigs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqkzJoRua5U
This gives me faith in the human race.
Absolutely fantastic post! I can’t express how this gladdens my heart and warms the old disheartened cockles. I’m saving this one for when I get my finances in order and can afford to make a donation.
And I’m so happy to see the guy with the little kitteh…what I noticed about that photo was the way the kitten is looking back at him – kitten doesn’t see a big tough guy with tattoos, all s/he knows is this is the person showing the love and care s/he needs. I think we could all take a lesson from the wee kitteh.
I think that’s great. Animal rescue and assistance work is some of the most highly honorable work a man can do, if you ask me. I think there’s even something in the Bible about the importance of caring for the beasts of the world.
Good on them. I read a couple of them have lost their jobs lately. I hope those guys get back on their feet soon.
Bravo, my fellow large men. Bra-vo.
(If I had tattoos and a bike I’d fit right in….)
Oh man, they´re soooo camp! LOL. I love it.
Check out their website too, they really do a LOT of stuff, kudos to them!
SQUEEEEEEE!!! SQUEEEESQUEEESQUEEEE!!!
OMG. This brought a tear to my eye. Big guys with big tattoos and even bigger hearts – what could be more perfect?!
And OMG PIT BULL PUPPEHS!!! ::dies::
f’ing awesome!
*Bows deeply to the members of rescue ink*
Nothing to say but “incredible”. I’m over the moon.
NMTOM, thank you! I have been going back to that NYT article and the top pic with Batso and chubby puppy *all weekend*, but hadn’t thought to send to CO. I love these guys — they remind me of Andrew Vachss’ stories about rough guys with a soft spot for dogs, like this one:
http://www.vachss.com/dogs/dog_stories/concrete_puppy.html
(Ohh, the chubulence!)
Oh, and the tubby little puppies are squeezable like my butter.
*sheesh* and I’m afraid to get my ears pierced….kudos, gentlemen, I salute you all!
When is your poker run & BBQ? I’m there!
Oh and please bring the puppies…
@LaurenE– of course– that’s the basis for the universal love for Chuck Jones’s Marc Anthony.
We knew real men love the Qte– after all, Theo is the manliest of men.
That’s just too beautiful. Look at the tender expressions on their faces as they huggle their little friends! Makes me want to hug *them*. Most definitely, when big, tough-looking guys melt over puppies and kittens, it’s an automatic Cute Overload.
They say your true nature is shown in the company of small children or kitties.
Bikers are some of the sweetest guys I know.
Any HogBoyz in the closet?
It’s safe to come out. We loves ya here.
Embrace the Qte!
I’m not a huge biker dude, but I am tattooed and love puppies and kitties. We need something like this in the UK, a lot of bad inner city areas have thousands of feral cats and dogs, especially dangerous breeds, being mistreated, neglected and abandoned, and the police and animal authorities are too scared to go into the ghettos, thus animals are dying. Come to the UK, boys, please?
BERTHASERVANT–You certainly have all the heart and guts it takes for this job–If you’re going to get tatoos, how about something classy, like images from the Book of Kells? Please take good photocopies to the tatoo store…Then again, maybe should forget the whole thing…
Your friend, T.Puppy
Theresa — my sister-in-law got me a T-shirt for my birthday… it has those same stylized yellow eyes printed on a black background that all the merch from the musical “Cats” had, if you recall… anyway, what it actually says is “Real Men Love Cats”. I’m not even wearing it right now as I type this or anything, as a pajama shirt.
Y’know…Seriously…
A regular show about
REAL MACHO GUYS stopping crimes against animals might
change some attitudes in kids and teens who think they are being SUPER TOUGH GUYS by attacking animals…
Talkin role models, here…We had a couple of cases involving little dogs…around the holidays…that just broke my heart…
i cant access the website here-
http://www.recueink.org
is this correct? or am i doing it wrong?
This is a fantastic story!! Kings of my heart, all of ‘em. And that kitteh in pic #9? *dies* Who doesn’t love an innocent kitty face? The 4 week old kitten I had started fostering is now about 12 weeks old and living with a friend of mine and her face is quickly changing from that innocent blue eyed sweetness to mad eyed crazy. I love kittehs!
But the guy in the second pic up there made me giggle because, to me, he looks like a lawyer-turned-biker dude and that is funny. Not that lawyers can’t also be bikers! Just that I also clearly and easily see him in a power suit and tie.
I am sooooooo in LUF with these guys! I must snorgle now.
@scooterpants: Check your spelling. The correct address is: http://www.rescueink.org
If you love these dudes so much, throw some donations their way. Every little bit helps, even $5 or $10.
Awwwww!! I have to agree that the big dude with the itty bitty kitten is the cutest. So awesome!
We need more heavily tattooed, scary biker men, sticking up for animals like these guys!!!
Great job, guys!
I just noticed, this is filed in “primates” …*giggle…*
That is the awesomest thing ever. The end.
I love the “advises” – I immediately thought of the Mafia.
But, really, this can’t be good. I think my heart just melted.
@Wendy – I’m in NJ too – how about we carpool and give ‘em double the hugs? LOL
These guys are the awesomest!!!!!
Hey Puppy, that’s sweet, but my body is covered with an annoying fur that does not make for a good tattoo canvas. Unless the Book of Kells has images that are furry.
B-Serv, there’s always the three-step plan:
1) shave
2) ink
3) reforestation
Extra Credit South Park Variation:
4) …PROFIT!
Yes, Real Men like teh Qte! I’m dying to get a picture of my boyfriend in his Army uniform, with our cat in his Military Police bag.
She LOVES it in there.
I second everyone who said these guys need a TV show! Absolutely! I’d watch.
This just made me feel good all over to read and see this. I knew that big tattooed biker guys could be softies–I’ve been on Interstate 35 and seen the bikers with toys in a long line, headed by “Santa Claus” in a leather vest–but as others have said, seeing big, strong, tough guys taking care of the defenseless and innocent: melts me every time. BRAVO!
People like this need to be cloned. Pure and simple.
I think these are my dream men. <3
I actually came to laugh about the fact that this was filed in “primates,” but Renae beat me to it. Darn!
These guys are awesome. I promptly had to go take this across my office to my mother because just the other day we got into a conversation about how much we love burly guys who love animals. There was a huge tattooed guy on a home renovation show the other day proudly showing off his kitten.
Also, and I think I’ve mentioned this on other CO posts, Pit Bulls make absolutely the cutest puppies on earth. They are all chub and wrinkly forehead and muzzlepowsche POWAH.
Compassion personified. HURRAH for RESCUE INK! Wow, I wish they would have branches in other cities! The slight of size animal lovers sure could use a convincing friend!
I agree with all those saying these guys should be on TV, they are brilliant!
I know this is sort of a conflict of interests but… how cool would a Rescue Ink calendar be?! We’d just buy both right?
)
exene; Excellent idea! Esp. since we’ve had some horrible cases of animal abuse here in Oregon that I won’t share because I like y’all too much.
But those people … I would love to see some of these guys get all up in their faces!
And the big guy with the kitten? I want to marry you.
okay everyone. i am a producer at a TV production company, and today i pitched a show featuring these guys that would be geared towards a particular animal-friendly channel. bosses loved the idea so much they put the proposal on fast-track, and development is supposed to place a call to the guys immediately!
i think our only obstacle to actually making it happen (please let us, guys, we do it every day!) is someone else having gotten to them first.
let’s all say a prayer…
i really want to make this show!
Love this story & espesche the pix.
Well I don’t live anywhere near them but I signed up for their newsletters so hopefully I can help that way.
I would be interested in a TV show if it was NOT like the animal planet cops shows. Those are depressing as all heck. I’m not allowed to watch them, lol.
Oh, and that guy in the foreground of the bottom photo…major babe. Five bucks says that he’s not single, but a girl can dream.
I suspect Animal Planet is all over this.
Between those tall, sun-browned cowboys in Houston, those burly Neyawk city cops, the rosy-checked English and South American guys, not to mention the San Francisco, Miami beach patrol and Detroit boys, they can add some tough biker guys to the American Heros shows. I mean a tattoo’d beefy biker who carries around a kitten so he can feed it every other hour? That’s twenty neilson points right there.
BTW, I suspect that after the article the traffic overwhelmed the link.
Thanks for the piece..I feel less “18-34 year old and overwhelmingly female” as the NYT was quoted as saying about CO’s audience. I am only 5’11 and 180 lbs. Only 6 tattoos if you count the one I HAD to get to cover my ex-wife of 7 years name lol. I can only bench press 250 pounds. So even though I don’t fit the “big scarey tattoo’d men” profile I feel much better about loving this site
OH my Boggley eye Goldfish!!
Big man STROKING BUBBAH KITTEN
Best ‘loved up’ face EVER
This is great stuff…and while the “Animal Planet” angle might be a little obvious, a TV show would bring more resources to the group and spotlight their cause. Everybody wins.
OMG, after a long and tiring day and hearing and seeing bad news all over, divisiveness among people and countries, this was JUST what I needed. I LOVE these guys! They are the cat’s pajamas, plus!
They are my heroes. Thanks, guys!
The pitbull puppies they saved still need homes according to the website. I can’t even consider it because I live on another continent, but PLEASE take on the puppis so the boys can take the evil dog fighters to court!
ahn…..
Bless. Agree with everyone on pic # 9 – that there is some massive KITTEH LERVES shining out of them there eyes
I cannot believe he carries the little kitteh around so that he can feed it every hour…but then, what person in their right mind is going to tell him ‘no’??? (certainly not moi).
More power to the big, tattooed, caramel-centred biker guys.
P.S – agree with whoever said the guy in the background of the bottom pic is a lawyer – my first thought on seeing that was OMG CHUBULENCE!, but my second was WTF? That guy has a bluetooth earpiece in? *lol*
I mean – obvy – the chubbulence comment was about the puppeh….
Aw, those first two look like Klingons and their beloved Targs!
Animals Cops is so frustrating to watch when the perps don’t listen. It’d be hard to ignore one of these guys shouting at you to clean up your act or turn in your pups.