An animal shelter in Florida has been left horrified after receiving a dog suffering severe chemical burns due to a bad dye job.
Pinellas County Animal Services shared the story of Violet, a tiny 2.2kg Maltese on Facebook, with a warning against ever using human hair dye on pets.
Violet arrived at the shelter dyed a violent shade of purple and with chemical burns so bad, staff at the shelter weren't sure she would even survive the night.
She was limp and listless, with eyes swollen shut and deep painful burns across her tiny body.
After a gentle bath, pain medication and fluids she was taken home by the shelter's vet for the night.
To the vet's surprise made it through the night and slowly began the long road to recovery, eventually enduring a shave and her skin sloughing off her body.
Three months later she was a new dog, happily barking away and wandering the halls of the shelter with a short haircut and pink-tinged fur.
She's now with her new owners who specialise in dog beautification, but the shelter is warning owners to never use items not meant for pets - lest they suffer the same fate as Violet.
"Chemicals in hair dye are TOXIC causing a wide array of external injury to your pet," the shelter wrote.
"Possible burns, blindness and because an animal's first instinct is to lick, it can cause poisoning or internal burns.
"Just don't."
Newshub.
