A man from Florida is facing charges after his dog was made famous for its unique look.
Erik Torres was at the Miami Heat game this week with his dog who is dyed yellow and black to look like the Pikachu Pokémon, WTVJ reported.
But before Torres and his dog Zsa Zsa were thrust into the spotlight, he found out that he was going to be fined because it is illegal for someone to dye an animal’s fur according to Miami-Dade County Ordinance 5-12A.
FURRY SITUATION: Miami Heat fan Erik Torres faced backlash after video of his Pomeranian’s Pokémon-inspired dyed fur during Monday's game went viral, but he says his dog was never in any harm. https://t.co/wnudr3Z7Jh
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) December 30, 2022
A citation was issued, fining Torres $200 because of the dye job.
Miami-Dade Animal Services spokesperson Kathleen Labrada told WSVN that the agency received a complaint on Dec. 20 about a sick puppy allegedly purchased from Torres’ business.
“We actually received a complaint from an individual on December 20th in reference to a sick puppy that he purchased on December 17th, so while in the store conducting that inspection on December 21st, we did see the artificially colored dog in the store,” Labrada told WSVN.
Torres told Telemundo 51 he had dyed Zsa Zsa in California before bringing the dog to Florida, WTVJ reported.
He also said he researched information before doing the dye job and used a dog- and horse-safe organic dye. He did it because his daughter is a Pokémon fan.
Some don’t agree, however, calling the dye animal abuse, WSVN reported.
Torres told WSVN it will take about 6 months for the dye to grow out and showed the television station that the dog’s skin had no sign of irritation.
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