Every year, there are some eye-catching staples at Pride — feather boas, drag queens, scantily clad muscle men. And in the past few years, there have been some four-legged guests who’ve made a name for themselves.
Alex Chapman has been bringing his herd of miniature poodles, dyed in the seven colors of the rainbow, to LGBT events like Pride and OutFest since 2008.
Chapman, 35, said the idea to colorize the pups came from his late partner, William, who died in 2009, and with whom he also launched dog-grooming salon PhillyDogSpot the previous year.
“Five years ago, he started remarking that we had enough poodles that we could dye them every color of the rainbow,” Chapman said. “So I called him on it and we did it. We went out the first time and people loved it.”
Chapman said he tries to have seven poodles come every year but brought six one year due to one being sick, and has taken as many as 10, as friends are eager to lend their own dogs to the effort. He said he makes sure he’s bringing pets that do well with the attention.
It also helps to have extra hands to manage the dogs on such outings, Chapman said.
“I never do it alone, I always have a couple people helping,” he said. “And at home, it’s just organization. We have three adults living in our house so we all take turns doing what needs to be done each day.”
In addition to the poodles, Chapman also has a Cuban hairless dog, which he noted is “not as showy” as the other canines.
The dying process is a multi-step one.
About a week before an outing, Chapman applies a pet-safe dye to each animal, and then washes and conditions each. He then applies a 100-percent vegetable-based cream rinse that is left to sit for 20 minutes before he wraps each pet in a cellophane-like material and blow dries the hair before giving each a final haircut.
The night before an event, or the morning of, Chapman applies a pastel non-toxic chalk and then wets the area to give the hair its bright hue.
“The base coat basically dyes the base hair for tint and then the chalk, which only lasts a few hours, really makes it pop,” he said. “The hardest part isn’t dying them or grooming them; it’s walking the parade with an average of three gallons of water in my backpack to keep them hydrated. But we love it and they love it.”
Chapman said each dog is typically the same color each year, which he selects to represent their individuality.
“Most of the time they’re the same color because it matches their personalities,” he said. “It’s hard to explain unless you knew the dogs. They get dyed according to the color in their heart.”
And they’ve been able to touch the hearts of many festival-goers, Chapman noted.
“People laugh, cry, want to pick them up and pet them. Kids sometimes think they’re toys, so we have to be careful. I think the most memorable was one lady a couple years ago who literally was clutching Tito crying because she used to have a dog who died that looked like him that she also dyed. He just ate it up.”
Chapman said the experience is also cathartic for himself as well.
“William’s the reason I keep doing it. It reminds me of him,” he said. “It was his idea and I think I wouldn’t have even considered if it wasn’t for him.”
For more information about PhillyDogSpot, visit www.phillydogspot.com.