Dog Dyed To Look Like A Tiger Sparks Outrage Among Netizens

• A Facebook post by netizen Ian Chioco showed photos of a dog that looked a like a tiger.
• In his post, he said it was surprising to find it roaming the streets.
• However, some netizens did not find it funny and even called it “animal cruelty.”
• Meanwhile, others argued that it can’t be animal cruelty since the dog looked healthy.

There is a very thin line between animal welfare and animal abuse. This is particularly evident these days, as scientific experimentation advances and pet ownership increases. Despite the increasing number of animal protection laws being enacted all over the world, the fact remains that for some people, cruelty against animals is a vague concept. 

Take, for instance, the case of this dog which was dyed to look like a tiger and the outrage it sparked after Facebook user Ian Chioco posted its photos online.

In the post, Chioco shared how shocked he was upon seeing this while he was cycling home.

He stopped, thinking that it was a real tiger in front of him.

But it turned out to be a dog with its fur dyed.

Some netizens got angry, saying that it is not only cruelty but also harmful to dye the dog’s hair. Others added it could be harmful to the dog if someone acts against it out of fear.

As one commenter wrote:

“The hair dye issue aside, whoever did this unconsciously endangered the dog. What if someone hurts him out of fear? Some people can be really stupid.”

Some netizens questioned the negative reactions, saying that the dog did not look like it was being abused by the owner. 

“You’re all just exaggerating. The dog isn’t even sick. It’s actually looks cool,” said another.

Some also pointed out that the dye job looked like it was done by a professional, which means they could have used harmless dog hair dye.

“Why? What’s wrong with that? That dog looks like it’s cared for. It doesn’t look sickly. It looks healthy and the dye job looks professional. The person who posted the photos is probably pretending to be concerned, but he actually didn’t do anything.”

One netizen joined in, saying that those who think that this is animal cruelty is exaggerating since it was revealed that the owner could have used a proper dog hair dye.

The comment read:

“It’s already clear they [the owner] used dog hair dye. They probably did that to make it look attractive and encourage others to adopt a dog as well. These useless chatter isn’t really making the society any better.”

In another post, Chioco shared that he received a message from the owners.

habang nagbbike ako pauwi nakasalubong ko 'to yawa!akala ko nasundan na yung ostrich na nakawala eh, kasi akala ko…

Posted by Ian Chioco on Sunday, August 23, 2020

You can stop worrying now because I got a message from doggo’s parent, clarifying that the dye he used is safe and non-toxic. Doggo is said to be happy while getting dyed. I am also happy because doggo is in good hands. That’s it. Thanks a lot! Love your pets, everyone! Stay safe.

The post may have been a call-to-action for both pet owners and animal rights activists to first understand what it means to own and care for a pet, as well as what animal cruelty means.