The owner of two pink chickens found roaming around Portland, Ore., has come forward, telling animal services that he dyed the birds to “make people smile.”

The two birds of a magenta hue were spotted roaming the waterfront of Portland earlier this week and -- not surprisingly -- they turned a few heads.

Officers with the local animal services department picked up the birds and appealed to the owner to come forward.

On Thurday, Multnomah County Animal Services told The Associated Press that the owner, David Whitman, said he used food coloring, beet juice and Kool-Aid to dye the chickens. He said he released them for a while to "make people smile."

Officials said they warned Whitman about the dangers of releasing birds in public places.

The owner was billed for the time the chickens were in the county's care.

With files from The Associated Press