Dandelion the Dog is an internet star, but not for the right reasons. Images of him have gone viral after his owner dyed him bright red, from paws to snout. It’s paid off for her in the form of millions of views. In fact, below a recent video she posted entitled “Reasons why I dye my dog red Part 3,” she included a short — but revealing — caption. It read: “Thanks for 30 million views on our latest video,” along with the hashtag #ViralDog. But not only is this not good for her animal — it also could be dangerous for other animals if their humans try the same thing.
His owner is pretending that this nonconsensual dye job is for his benefit rather than hers, but in fact she’s concocted a whole online image for herself around her dyed dog. She’s even named her Instagram account “Dan the Big Red Dog.” Luckily, animal lovers are pointing out how this TikTok star is really just creating a marketing campaign for herself to rack up clicks, likes, and followers. Still others are cautioning her to consider the consequences of her actions: if more pet owners start following in her misguided footsteps, many animals could be harmed from allergic reactions or even chemical burns. All-in-all, her content just glamorizes bad pet parent behavior. We should be genuinely caring for our companion animals, not using them in this way.
This TikToker is using her position of power over her dog to make harmful choices for him, and it’s just not right! Yet authorities at TikTok and Instagram don’t seem to have done anything to stop her content from spreading. Sign the petition to demand TikTok and Instagram protect pets. They must prevent this type of glorified animal exploitation on their platforms!