They tried to dye Violet the dog purple. It almost killed her.

When Violet arrived at the animal shelter in Largo, Florida, her fur had been dyed to match her name.

But the little white Maltese mix was on the brink of death—her eyes were swollen shut, she was limp and listless and had “obvious burns to her skin,” according to a post on the Pinellas County Animal Services Facebook page.

The 5-pound dog was given fluids and pain medication. Animal rescuers washed off as much of the chemical dye as they could, the shelter said Tuesday, and bandaged Violet up. She went home with a veterinarian.

Then they waited.

When she returned the next morning, they were amazed she had made it through the night, shelter officials said. Not only was she alive but she was alert and “offering kisses,” they said.

But Violet was still in bad shape.

Workers shaved her hair to assess the damage. When her skin began to slough off—much to the “horror” of the rescuers – they realized it was worse than they initially thought.

The next three months brought more pain medication, antibiotics, bandage changes, “sleepless nights.” The staff worried constantly about Violet. But then they noticed a change in the animal.

Violet became more responsive – walking the halls, visiting each office to request treats or hugs – letting everyone know she was getting better. But that didn’t stop rescuers from fearing she’d be permanently blind or get an infection, officials said.

When the final badges came off, Violet was beautiful, officials said. Her new owners think so, too.

Animal services is warning pet owners against using hair dye intended for humans. Doing so could put “your pet’s life on the line,” the shelter said, due to the toxicity of the dye.

This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 3:49 PM with the headline "They tried to dye Violet the dog purple. It almost killed her.."