Royal Pupper
Art Walk
Jaleesa Holmes paints on streaks of purple, turquoise, emerald green and magenta hair dyes, blending each together with a gloved hand. Her canvas — the white patches of fur on a parti-coat over 1 1/2-year-old standard poodle named Guinevere inside Celebrity Pets Salon & Boutique in Akron. Holmes shows a reference picture of a purple-pink galaxy and notes she’s leaving white spots to emulate sparkling stars as “Guinny” relaxes for primping.
“It puts a smile on your face to see something different, out of the norm,” says the pet stylist, who finishes painting on the vegan, cruelty-free pet dye and lets it sit for a half-hour. A few days earlier, Guinny got shampooed, conditioned and received a hot oil treatment, which made her coat soft like a stuffed animal, and then she got her fur cut and blow-dried.
After rinsing off the excess dye, Holmes dries and combs Guinny’s fur, spritzing on mink oil. She paints her nails a glittery silver and ties blue, pink and purple tulle bows onto her ears — viola Guinny looks like a walking painting of the night sky. When one of her owners and Akron resident, Jordan Dennis, sees Guinny, she is so elated she does a happy dance!
“She seems to have that little glimmer in her eye and looks like she’s smiling,” says Dennis, who has another standard poodle, Zelda. “She knows that she looks like an adorable little floof.”
Celebrity Pets has done several other interesting dye jobs — a poodle with ombre green and blue feet and ears, a Havanese with candy cane-striped legs and a Yorkie with a pumpkin-like orange body and green tail. One of Holmes’ favorite jobs was Guinny’s first one: a rainbow for Pride Month in June. Dennis loved how she looked like a “Lisa Frank dog.” While pet hair coloring can be controversial, Celebrity Pets stylists test a spot for any reactions, and if there are any warning signs or if the pet doesn’t like it, they pump the brakes.
Guinny’s dye jobs certainly turn heads on local trail hikes and neighborhood walks, including one where the driver rolled down the window to say Guinny looked beautiful.
“Guinevere loves the attention,” Dennis says. “It’s an opportunity for her to socialize and have fun, be around new people.” KP