Cici may not realize she's being dyed, but stylist Travis Smith, Douglas' employee, said the dog definitely knows she's getting some extra attention that her companions -- Pierre and black teacup poodle Francois -- aren't.
"She loves getting pampered. She puts her face up in the heat," said Smith, 20. "She may not know she's pink, but she knows she's pampered."
Markarian said that he's not sure whether beet juice is harmful to a dog but that owners must be careful because some foods are toxic to dogs, who could ingest it as they lick their fur.
"This is the first time we've heard of a dog being dyed in this way," he said.
Coloring a dog seems unnecessary, he added. "These animals are not fashion accessories. They're not billboards. They're living creatures, and their natural fur and feathers are beautiful enough."
Douglas said the attention that Cici attracts helps her raise money for breast cancer organizations, although she declined to discuss the amount or whether the disease has directly affected her. Douglas said she participates in cut-a-thons, art shows and other fundraisers.
One year ago, she said, an animal control officer stopped by her shop one block north of Boulder's popular outdoor Pearl Street mall. He'd received a complaint that one of her dogs -- who come with her to the salon every day -- was underfed. Douglas said the officer quickly agreed that the dogs were healthy. But he noticed Cici had been colored and warned Douglas that dyeing was not permitted.
Douglas said she couldn't understand how that could be true. When she didn't hear back from the officer, she said, she assumed everything was fine and continued to color Cici.
This month, another animal control officer returned. Lisa Pedersen, chief executive officer of the Boulder area Humane Society, which enforces the city's animal welfare laws, said the organization had received another complaint.
The officer ticketed Douglas for violating the ordinance. But in the ensuing flood of media attention, Humane Society officials signaled that they may rethink the ordinance's application in this situation.
Pedersen said the Humane Society will "review the language of the current ordinance to determine any changes we may recommend" to city officials. Boulder officials said they have not received any proposals to revise the ordinance.
Douglas' attorney has advised her to cease the color treatments for the time being.
So, for now, Cici's fur will continue to fade back to its natural white.
--
deedee.correll@latimes.com
