BURIEN, Wash. — When Lauren Piston isn't rocking out all night long as the lead singer of the all-female AC/DC tribute band Hell's Belles, you might find her at the dog grooming salon she owns in Burien. It's called The Painted Pooch. Here, she really does paint pooches.
"It's like a big old furry coloring book," she said.
Just in time for Halloween, Piston is bringing to life a colorful voodoo design. Don't worry, the dye she uses is dog friendly.
"Even if the dog licks it, it's fine," she said. "It's like vegetable oil. Very non-invasive. It doesn't hurt the coat. The side effects are fabulous!"
Her model is Levi, a standard poodle with more than your standard degree of patience.
"You're doing good, buddy," Piston said. "You're doing good."
The entire process can take more than 8 hours. Piston charges between $120 and $150 an hour.
"You kind of need to know the dog before you do it because some dogs can't handle this," Piston said. "I kinda just gauge how much I do around the dog and this guy's pretty mellow. So, that's why we're like 'OK we'll get this done and then we'll take a break and then we'll take get this done and take a break.'"
Piston has an international reputation among creative groomers. Many have tuned into a live tutorial she's giving as she paints.
"I just love doing things people haven't done before," Piston said. "So, breaking norms. I did a dog based on 'Beetlejuice' and I did a Day of the Dead Zombie Dog. I did a dog based on 'Pet Semetary.' I did a dog based on 'Halloween' and Michael Myers. And I've done like giraffes, Tigger. All Kinds of things. I even had a dog that has the old timey '80s MTV logo on it."
Piston always save the head and neck for last. Levi's tongue may be blue from licking his snout, but remember the dye is pet friendly.
Finally after his top knot gets a bone as an accessory, Levi is ready for his final reveal. A more colorful dog you will never find.
"I think it's fun," Piston said. "Amazing. Colorful and I'm definitely tired."
Levi seems to like his new look which is a good thing.
"It does last a long time so he is going to be a voodoo doll for probably 4 to 5 months," Piston said. " So, his owner definitely gets to have a very interesting critter for quite a while."
Raised in North Carolina, Lauren Piston has recruited Hell's Belles to stream a live benefit show from Jazzbones on the night of November 1st to raise money that will help hurricane victims. Piston also plans a live stream from Slim's Last Chance on December 28.
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