08/23/2025
Client Spotlight: Nicole Ford
Some people are born to care for others, Nicole Ford just does it in more ways than one. By day, Nicole is the heart behind purrPETual CARE, a professional pet-sitting and in-home veterinary nursing service that has been keeping pets safe, healthy, and loved since 2010. With over 25 years of experience as a veterinary technician, Nicole is the person you call when your pet needs more than just a sitter, they need expert care from someone who truly understands animals. From post-surgery nursing to medication management, Nicole brings an empathetic soul, a big heart, and a whole lot of experience to every furry, feathered, or scaly client.
Nicole’s four children (ages 13, 10, 8, and 5) are her greatest joy and motivation. Everything she does—building her business, creating a loving home, writing poetry—is for them, showing them what it means to work hard, follow a dream, and rise through challenges with love and strength. And speaking of dreams, poetry has been Nicole’s passion since childhood. For as long as she can remember, she has poured her feelings into words, exploring childhood pains, motherhood, grief, heartache, and the fierce act of rising after life’s hardest moments. Publishing her own poetry collection, Me to Our Rescue —now available on Amazon— was a lifelong dream come true, and her writing now reaches other women navigating postpartum struggles, anxiety, and the quiet courage of healing.
Nicole’s story doesn’t just live in her words, it lives on her skin. Her tattoo journey began years before meeting Radha Pizzo in 2008, but after Nicole’s first custom piece, a portrait of Annabelle, Nicole’s beloved dog and soul companion, Nicole knew she need not look any further for another artist and has entrusted Radha as her exclusive artist every since. “Radha gave me the gift of carrying my best friend with me every single day for the rest of my life, even though she is no longer here.” Since then, Radha has completed nearly two full sleeves, designed Nicole’s business logo, and they’ve spent countless hours together forming a bond that’s part friendship, part therapy, and all artistry.
Tattoos have become part of Nicole’s healing journey, many honoring ancestors she has lost, a croissant wrapped around a high heel in memory of breakfast with her Nanny, who never went out of her house without looking her best, in high heels and a dress. Then there is loss that no mother should ever know, the loss of a child. Nicole’s upper left arm is a beautiful reminder of a love that lives just not able to give in this life, a healing tribute to the daughter she lost before she was ready to be birthed alive. Some of Nicole’s tattoos are love letters to her life’s journey and the places that shaped her. She carries Black-Eyed Susans for Maryland, her home state, and Columbines for her time in Colorado. The Orange Blossoms honor her years in Florida, where sunshine and new chapters have bloomed. Along her arm, autumn leaves and snowflakes drift gracefully, a tribute to the changing seasons she loves and misses and her deep connection to nature. And just because lots of Nicole’s skin is covered, she is not stopping continuing her story in ink —a large thigh piece is next, one that pays homage to both her favorite city and favorite poet- Baltimore and Edgar Allan Poe.
Nicole describes Mockingbird Tattoo Co as friendly, welcoming, and creative—a space where every client feels at home. She’s referred many friends and clients there, knowing they’ll experience the same care, artistry, and safe space for self-expression that she treasures.
Nicole’s life is a blend of heart, care, and art—whether she’s loving her children fiercely, nursing a pet back to health, helping a woman feel seen through her poetry, or healing and honoring her journey through Radha’s creativity and artistry at Mockingbird Tattoo Co.
Need inspiration and relatability in life with a side of humor and realness? follow Nicole.
Need expert, loving care for your pet? Nicole is your person.
Need words that speak to your soul? grab her book, Me to Our Rescue - www.nicoleraewrites.com
Looking for an artist who can turn your story into timeless art with ink? Visit Mockingbird Tattoo Co and Radha Pizzo—she’s the magic behind Nicole’s living canvas. mockingbirdtattoo.com
