Many Americans love their pets, whether they are dogs, cats, hamsters, parakeets, snakes, pot-bellied pigs or any of the other many kinds of pets. It is estimated that about 68% of households in America right now own some kind of pet. Believe it or not, freshwater fish are the most popular household pet, numbering around 139.3 million. Second to fish is cats, estimated to be 94.2 million. Third is man’s best friend, dogs estimated to number about 89.7 million.

I’ve had fish, parakeets, a cat, snakes, and geckos as pets, but none have captured my heart as much as my dogs. Unlike the other pets, our dogs are members of the family. If you are like my wife and I, your dog(s) are just like children and you care for them just as you would care for your own child. You love them, feed and water them, take them to the doctor (vet), play with them, take photos of them and treasure their company. I’ll confess that as I’m writing this, our two Maltese are laying in my chair next to me.

Few of us would never intentionally harm our children and likewise, few of us wouldn’t intentionally harm our dogs, but a growing number of pet owners are doing just that and don’t even know it.

How many of you enjoyed dressing up your kids, especially daughters? You tend to lavish on them with pretty dresses, ribbons and bows in the hair and some parents go so far as to color their daughter’s hair, especially on holidays and special events.

These days, there are more and more special events for our pets, specifically our dogs. Some Major League Baseball teams will host a bring your dog to the game day, once or several times during the season. Some cities or organizations will host a parade that features pets and many owners will go to extremes to make their pet grab the attention of others. Then there is Halloween when we see so many pets wearing costumes and having their fur dyed various colors.

What many loving pet owners may not understand is that the dye they use on their dogs may cause serious injury and harm their pets.

Check out what happened to one adorable dog named Violet:

“The dog, a Maltese mix named Violet, was found with most of her fur dyed purple, according to Pinellas County Animal Services (PCAS), which recently shared Violet’s story on Facebook. The dog was in grave condition: Her eyes were swollen shut, she had burns on her skin, and she appeared ‘limp and listless,’ the post said.”

“Staff at the shelter initially treated Violet with fluids and pain medication, and washed as much dye off her fur as they could. The next day, Violet was put under anesthesia as her coat was shaved off. During the shaving, the staff realized that Violet’s skin was sloughing off. ‘It was so much worse than we initially thought,’ the post said.”

Why was this happening to Violet?

“Human hair dye contains toxic chemicals and should never be used on dogs or other pets, the PCAS said. The chemicals (which can include hydrogen peroxide and bleach) can cause a number of external injuries in pets, including burns and, if the substances get into an animal’s eyes, blindness, the shelter said. In addition, because dogs instinctually lick themselves, dye on their fur could cause internal burns or poisoning, the shelter said.”

There are dyes made specifically for animals that do not contain the same toxins that many human hair dyes contain. Even then, there is no guarantee that your dog, whom you love so much, won’t have an adverse reaction to animal fur dye. Dressing your dog up is one thing, but dying the fur could be deadly.

As for Violet:

“After three months of treatment, which included antibiotics, IV fluids, honey treatments, scab removal and bandage changes, Violet appeared to be getting better. She began to walk and bark again. However, the staff still worried that Violet would experience complications, such as permanent blindness or infection, PCAS said.”

She now belongs to new owners who know how to safely beautify pets and who will continue to care for her and help her recover as much as possible. Don’t let your dog go through what Violet has gone through. No dog, or any other kind of pet, deserves to be treated that way.