Outrage as Pokémon fan dyes dog to make it look like Pikachu character - but some say it's harmless (Photos)

A Pokémon fan has sparked outrage among animal lovers after dying their dog to look like popular character Pikachu.
The craze loved by kids in the 1990s has made a monumental comeback in the last few weeks with the launch of a new augmented reality game and everyone seems Poké-mad once again.
A video of a dog - dyed bright yellow with black stripes and red circles on its face - was posted on Facebook and Twitter by Elihudi Justin Urassa along with the caption: "they made their dog look like pikachu"
He later commented on the post saying it was 'quite sad'.
The clip prompted over 37,000 Facebook Reactions from users, split between anger and amusement.
It also sparked over 43,000 comments in a fiery debate between people who believe it's cruel and those who view it as harmless.
Kim Ritchie wrote: "Why would you even do that to any animal. Smh." (shaking my head)
Nikki Strarostka was similarly outraged, saying: "This is just the stupidest cruelest thing I've seen in a while. I love Pokémon, but this is just plain moronic! Learn to treat animals with respect! Can't believe people like this sh**!!"
Sarah Elizabeth Clark defended the dog owner, saying: "People are so quick to yell fire before they can tell whether it's smoke or steam.

"Unless the dye was toxic or the dog was very distressed when it was being dyed then I don't see how any sane person could think this amounts to animal abuse.
"Please, continue to call out injustices. But try to make sure an injustice has occurred before you sharpen your pitchforks."
Simon Persson said: "Dog looks happy, the dog owner has taught the dog a trick which usually means he is very passionate about dogs wich then leads to the question if he would "hurt" his dog. (sic)

"To me it's pretty obvious that there is nothing wrong with this, although it's pretty wierd looking. As long as it doesnt hurt the dog, imo, it's fine."
Animal lovers said they hoped the dye used was pet-friendly, and a quick search online shows there are several 'safe' ways to dye dog fur.

 source: UK mirror