Back in December, one fan at an NBA game went viral after he dyed his dog’s fur to look like Pikachu before taking it to a Miami Heat basketball game.
The small dog’s bright yellow coat made it stand out when its owner took it to the Mimi Heat vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game, which took place in Miami on December 26. It caught the attention of a cameraman filming the crowd and prompted a few comments from the announcers.
Unfortunately, all that press got him in trouble. The Florida man was cited by Miami-Dade Animal Services. It seems the animal had already been on animal officials’ radar. Animal services noticed its bright yellow fur during an inspection at the World Famous Puppies store in Doral on Dec. 21.
“Pikachu was in the store,” Kathleen Labrada, Assistant Director of Miami-Dade Animal Services, told NBC Miami. “There was a staff member holding the dog in her lap.”
Labrada said it is “unlawful for any person to possess, sell or otherwise transfer within the County any dyed or artificially colored rabbit or other animal.” One week after the inspection, animal services informed shop owner Eric Torres they are issuing a $200 citation.
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Torres said the dyed dog is his family pet and isn’t for sale. He told NBC Miami he plans to appeal the citation and claimed the yellow dye is safe for dogs – so safe that he could eat it himself.
“Puppies are very delicate,” Torres told NBC Miami in response to the allegations. “They do tend to have very low immune systems as they develop and so it’s the nature of the business that dogs do get sick.”
Miami-Dade Animal Services told NBC Miami they never planned on removing the dog from Torres’ care.
