Dubbed “paw t**s” by crude men, a woman with a large black paw print tattooed on each breast, in homage to her family dog, says the inking has made her undateable.

Adele Smith, 28, loved her black Newfoundland dog, Max, so much that when he turned eight – the normal life expectancy for the breed – in 2007, she had the 8ins wide and 3.5ins high tattoo done, costing £100, as a permanent reminder of her beloved pooch.

But charity worker Adele, from Leicester, says the inking has ruined her love life, adding: “I haven’t had a proper relationship since I got it done, 10 years ago.”

tattoo boob dogThe inking was supposed to be a permanent reminder of her beloved pooch (Collect/PA Real Life)

She continued: “People don’t look at me or want to talk to me, it’s all about my boobs.

“The tattoo was meant to be something to remember Max by, but whenever I look at my boobs, rather than thinking of him, I think of what a mistake I’ve made.”

Adele had wanted the design to be a positive and lasting reminder of the Newfoundland – a giant breed weighing up to 11 stone – and had traced Max’s wet paw prints on paper, to make sure it was accurate, as he approached the end of his life.

tattoo boob dogAdele’s dog Max was a member of the family (Collect/PA Real Life)

Presenting a Leicester tattooist with the paw print outline she had made, he spent an hour perfecting the design, which joined an earlier tattoo she had done, in honour of her rabbit, Cherry.

“I have the cherry tattoo on my neck, but getting Max’s paw prints done meant I needed a bigger space, and the only area I could think of that was big enough was my chest,” Adele who has a 34 DD bust, said.

Then 18, at first, she was thrilled with the result, despite her late-nan, Celia, saying she hoped it “rubbed off.”

tattoo boob dogAdele says the inking has made her undateable (Collect/PA Real Life)

She recalled: “I went to university in Portsmouth where everyone noticed my tattoo, which I loved,” .

“I was in the buzz of freshers, always getting my boobs out and showing my tattoos off. I guess it became my ‘thing’.”

But, after a year, the novelty wore thin.

Adele said: “I started getting negative comments and being called names like ‘paw t**s.’ They were the first thing that everyone noticed.

“Everything became about my boobs and the tattoos, and not about me.

“Even if they were slightly on show and someone noticed, I’d shudder and want the ground to swallow me up.”

tattoo boob dogAdele had a a large black paw print tattooed on each breast in homage to her family dog (Collect/PA Real Life)

Adele’s choice of clothing soon started to be influenced by her tattoo.

She continued: “I hated my boobs and what I’d done to myself.

“I started wearing high-neck tops, even in summer. I’d be sweating just so I could cover them up.”

tattoo boob dogAdele’s dog Max was a member of the family (Collect/PA Real Life)

Adele even attributes her lack of success with men to her paw prints.

“My self-confidence has been shattered by them,” she said. “I’m sure that’s why I haven’t had many relationships lasting for more than a month in 10 years.

“Blokes get the wrong idea about me. They think I’m easy which is not what I am like at all.”

tattoo boob dogAdele’s dog Max was a member of the family (Collect/PA Real Life)

Adele has now started laser treatment at the sk:n clinic in Leicester, which uses the technique to remove 20,000 tattoos every year.

She said: “I can’t wait to have my paw prints removed. The clinic does it by allowing the light produced by the laser to pass through the skin and break up the tattoo ink into tiny particles, which are disposed of through the body’s immune system.

“It’s going to take 18 months and costs £1,000. But it will be worth it, if it means I can be happy in my own skin.”

More information about tattoo removal at sk:n can be found at https://www.sknclinics.co.uk/treatments-and-pricing/laser-tattoo-removal