Dog Owner Dyes Pet Pink To Reflect 'Sassy' Personality, Branded 'Cruel'

A dog owner was branded “cruel and selfish” for dying her pet using pink hair color.

Lydia Geall dyed her poodle’s feet and tail bright-pink and posted a photo of the dog on Facebook. This resulted in her facing severe backlash with some netizens calling her “cruel.”

Speaking to Daily Mail on Tuesday, Geall said, “A lot of people have said I dyed her for attention, but even without her colored bits she was already a pretty unusual looking dog. I've never been able to take her anywhere without people stopping to laugh about looking like Creulla De Vil or an 80s glam rocker.”

Some of the netizens said it was dangerous to use hair dye on dogs.

“Chemicals found in hair color such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, are very strong chemicals that can cause allergic reactions in dogs. Hair coloring is a human fad and pets such as cats and dogs should be kept outside this ambit,” one person wrote.

However, Geall said the dye used on her pet was “semi-permanent, vegan and dog-friendly.” Geall, who is also the owner of Oakwood Dog Grooming, clarified that she did not sell the dye at the salon and that the poodle, named Eggz, was actually her own dog.

“Eggz actually belongs to me, I chose to dye her because I think it looks adorable, she has the most sassy personality of any dog I've ever met and having the extra bit of flare with the pink totally matches her personality. It's not something we advertise that we offer to customers, but on a couple of occasions when it's been requested, we've done it using a less vibrant dye than the one I used on Eggz, or chalk, both of which fade out without washing in around a week,” she said.

“I chose to share the photo on the page because it was something a bit different to our usual groom photos. I knew it wouldn't be to everyone's taste, but I never expected the reaction it's received, both the salon and me personally have been called cruel and selfish - which is crazy. It's a shame that so many people have got angry, upset, or feel concerned about Eggz, but the negativity has definitely been out numbered by the amount of smiles she's put on the faces of everyone who met her since the dye was put on,” she added.