Angela Schoonover, 42, adopted one-year-old Zoe in May 2022 with the intention of entering her into grooming competitions. However, Angela decided to give Zoe an unconventional and playful look by dyeing her white fur different colours instead.
Despite spending £400 a year on vegan, pet-safe dye and dedicating at least three hours a week to grooming Zoe, Angela has been labeled “cruel” by online trolls who believe it is unfair to change the dog’s appearance without her consent.
Angela, the owner of Muse Dog Spa in Carlsbad, California, defends her decision, stating that Zoe is a happy and loving dog. She said: “Zoe is a very happy, loving dog. But when videos of her go viral, they seem to get a lot of hate.
“People say it isn’t fair to do ‘that’ to a dog, that she doesn’t have a choice and I don’t know for certain whether she likes it or not. But when people actually meet her in person, they can see exactly how she embodies her look. It’s like I can read her mind – she just wants to be a colourful, magical unicorn.”
Angela uses pet-safe dye from the brand Opawz, which she compares to dyeing fur with blueberry juice. She emphasises that all the dye she uses is gentle, non-toxic, and 100% vegan. Angela clarifies, “All the dye I use is pet-friendly and non-toxic. I think it’s important to stress that – it’s incredibly gentle, and it just feels like a constant massage for Zoe.”
Initially, Angela adopted Zoe to compete in grooming competitions, but she felt that the standard poodle look wouldn’t suit Zoe’s personality. Angela said: “I wanted to compete – but now I probably won’t. In the grooming world, you’re only doing standard cuts like a German trim – which is the classic, puffy-haired poodle look.
“I’ve gone through this internal battle of wanting to be respected as a groomer, but also wanting to be playful and doing more creative cuts. Zoe’s current haircut is called a Disney cut – which isn’t currently recognised as an American Kennel Club (AKC) standard style.”
Angela first experimented with dyeing Zoe’s fur on July 4, 2022, in honour of Independence Day.
She said: “I started dyeing her feet. I did them red, white and blue for the Fourth of July. You can only dye 10 to 15 percent of the dog in order to compete in grooming competitions – but I wanted her to be beautiful.
“Now, she’s over-the-top, beautiful and pretty. And she inspires me so much – she’s easy-going, fun-loving and energetic without being overwhelming. She’s flirty to people who take selfies with her – she loves kissing. And she’s a total ham, playing up to the camera and posing. It’s impossible not to like her when you meet her in real life.”
While Angela no longer plans to enter Zoe into grooming competitions, she credits Zoe with being the ‘spokesdog’ for Muse Dog Spa.
Angela said: “We’re called Muse – and she is literally my muse. I’ve switched gears from entering her into competitions and now, she’s like my marketing team. Her pictures are all over our branding and website – she’s our spokesdog.”
Angela’s dedication to Zoe’s well-being is evident as she invests approximately £1,000 in Zoe each year, including the cost of fur dye and grooming products.
She plans to enrol Zoe in private training to become a therapy dog, which she believes is a significant investment in Zoe’s future.
Angela said: “For me, the training has been the biggest investment into Zoe’s future. We’re working towards her becoming a therapy dog and visiting hospital patients.”
This article was crafted with the help of AI tools, which speed up Express.co.uk’s editorial research. A content editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to readercomplaints@reachplc.com.
