Animals are sweet, compassionate, and loving. Unfortunately, their owners can be cruel and selfish. One little dog almost died because of the carelessness of her owner. This person dyed the pup’s hair purple, and it almost cost her her life
Violet is an adorable Maltese mix with a shining personality. Her beautiful white fur, however, was apparently not good enough for her former owner. The person tried to dye the dog’s hair purple, using chemicals that were intended for humans. This horrific “makeover” left the pup with severe burns. She was then abandoned, left for dead.
Pinellas County Animal Services picked up the stray and took her back to their shelter. When they saw what had happened to her, they were horrified. Her body was covered in burns, and one of her eyes was swollen shut. The shelter workers were afraid the dog wouldn’t survive.
“We gave fluids, pain meds, and we gently washed as much of the chemical dye off as we could,” the shelter posted on Facebook. “We bandaged her up. Then we waited – Violet went home with our veterinarian and we waited.”
The next morning, Violet was feeling much better. She offered up kisses to anyone in sight, but she still had a long way to go before she was back to good health.
“We began the arduous process of shaving off her hair to really measure the damage – to our horror her skin began to slough off,” the shelter wrote. The problem was much worse than they had first imagined.
The dog underwent treatment for three months. As she healed, she broke more and more out of her shell.
“She began to walk the halls, visiting each office requesting treats or hugs or gentle pats, always in the lead with our veterinarian in tow.” The shelter added, “It was clear – Violet was on the mend and she wanted everyone to know it.”
Finally, the day came when the staff could remove the bandages. They breathed a sight of relief as they saw the gorgeous dog that stood in front of them.
Some of the dye still speckles Violet’s fur, and she still has scars from the chemical burns, but she is much happier and healthier than she was before the shelter found her.
Once the dog was recovered, it didn’t take her long to find a forever home. She now lives a loving owner who would never hurt her.
Violet’s story had a happy ending, but the shelter wants to spread the word about the dangers that come with dying dogs’ fur.
They advise: “Do not, under any circumstances, use hair color intended for humans on your pets. Chemicals in hair dye are toxic, causing a wide array of external injury to your pet – possible burns, blindness and, because an animal’s first instinct is to lick, it can cause poisoning or internal burns. Just don’t.”
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