Young groomer dyed a woman’s dog green for the holidays without permission — then doubled down with an outrageous excuse that left the owner baffled
A Wexford County woman recently dropped off her dog for his usual trim at a local salon and went about her day. But as the hours passed with no updates, a feeling of worry started to creep in. It wasn’t until later, on Monday, December 8, 2025, that the reason for that uneasiness became clear. Under better light, she finally saw her dog and froze. His fur had been dyed a bright green. The surprise hit her even harder when she confronted the groomer and received an unbelievable excuse in return.
As reported by UpNorthLive on Thursday, December 11, 2025, Janice Johnson had dropped off her three-year-old dog, RJ, at Jasmine’s Pet Salon in Lake City with clear instructions about what she did and did not want done. She recollected saying, “I actually said, don’t do anything to his ears. Don’t do anything to his tail.” But when hours passed with no update from groomer Leandra Marie Boyles, Johnson’s concern grew. By the time she arrived at Boyles’ driveway, RJ had been with the groomer nearly seven hours, far longer than the usual grooming window. In the dark, Johnson didn’t notice anything unusual, but later, seeing the bright green dye on his ears and tail, she said, “I was just in shock.” What made things worse was discovering that the color didn’t wash out, leaving her confused and frustrated.
Her frustration deepened when she learned that Boyles had used OPawz, a permanent pet dye, and had even posted photos of RJ on Facebook to advertise her coloring services, all without permission. Johnson said, “She treated my dog like her personal art project,” explaining that Boyles had previously asked about dyeing RJ and had always been told no. “No way in hell. No way, not my dog.” This time, Johnson said, the groomer didn’t ask at all. When Johnson confronted her, Boyles sent a lengthy message saying she wanted to make pets “colorful,” writing, “It’s sometimes better to ask for forgiveness than permission,” and ending with, “I do apologize if you are upset with me, and I do hope I can still keep you as a client! My excuse is I’m young.” The now-deleted Facebook post felt like another layer of disrespect to Johnson, who said the whole experience left her feeling taken advantage of.
The situation soon grew beyond her local area after Johnson made her own Facebook post to warn other pet owners. She said she had expected it to stay in small community groups, not spread widely, but understood why people reacted strongly. “Pets, dogs, and kids you don’t mess with,” she said. The incident opened conversations about the lack of certification standards in the grooming industry, where trust is key. Johnson later received a refund from Boyles, but other groomers told her the dye could take up to a year to fade. While she loves RJ no matter what, she still feels the unauthorized dye job was unnecessary and upsetting. The outlet later contacted Boyles for her side of the story, and she sent a statement saying she tried to maintain a “positive and respectful environment.” She admitted the splash of color may have crossed boundaries and apologized, saying the family seemed happy when they left, and she had also given them a card and extra treats.