It's about respect and pride. People wouldn't get tattoos of their city's name or area code for no reason. Your homies/family died there reppin' their city/state. You grew up with your problems there.
an·i·mal /ˈænəməl/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[an-uh-muhl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. any member of the kingdom Animalia, comprising multicellular organisms that have a well-defined shape and usually limited growth, can move voluntarily, actively acquire food and digest it internally, and have sensory and nervous systems that allow them to respond rapidly to stimuli: some classification schemes also include protozoa and certain other single-celled eukaryotes that have motility and animallike nutritional modes.