5-Pound Dog's Body Brutally Burned and Eyes Swollen Shut after Fur Is Dyed Purple
Dogs come in a breathtaking array of sizes, shapes, and colors. From the tiniest teacup Yorkie to the towering, sleek-coated great Dane, the varieties that have been produced over the years are truly astounding.
And colors? White, copper, chocolate, cream, peach, black, blue, gray, and even some red colors.
But not purple. Never purple.
Despite the insistence of creation to set the spectrum of colors dogs are available in, people are just as determined to subject animals to their whims. You’ve probably seen them: the insane cuts and clips dogs get to look like things they’re not.
Lately, dyeing dogs has become a fad. Pups can go to the salon to get their hair done — but an important note is that they can get their hair done with dog-safe dye.
As long as it’s a dye approved for dogs, and done by someone who knows what they’re doing, it’s usually not harmful.
But when someone tries to cut corners and do a dye job themselves, and with dye meant for humans, the job usually gets botched. And the damage is not limited to appearance.
Enter “Violet,” the dog named for the condition that almost killed her. Someone decided to dye this harmless little 5-pound Maltese with purple hair dye.
Instead of merely staining the dog with a vivid color, it burned her skin. In fact, it burned her so badly that the photos posted online of her wounds are too graphic for most people to view.
Pinellas County Animal Services first posted about Violet, saying that even after she was washed and cared for, she went through severe pain.
Her skin had been chemically burned and started to fall off. She was lethargic, her eyes were swollen, and she was obviously hurting.
She was given pain medication and fluids, and bandaged up, but she was not in a good way. Veterinary staff weren’t sure she’d even pull through the night.
Being the little fighter that she was, though, she made an appearance the next morning after going home with the veterinarian. And she was giving kisses.
She was shaved, and more skin fell off. She was kept bandaged and on medication to try to give her skin a chance to heal.
Three months after the start of her ordeal, and after lots of blood, sweat, and tears, Violet was on the mend. Her personality shone, and despite the scars she’ll carry, she had become her own person again.
Fortunately for Violet, caring people were ready to take her in. Though there were many moments when they weren’t sure she’d make it, she proved to them all that she was five pounds of strength and willpower.
Pinellas County Animal Services also hopes her story is a lesson to people who aren’t aware of the harm they could be causing their pets by using unapproved products on their animals. Violet’s plenty pretty without needing her fur to match her name, and so are all pups sporting the colors God gave them.
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