Unfur-gettable: Puppy with green fur born in Sardinia

Italian farmer could not believe his eyes when his dog gave birth to a green-furred puppy

Published: October 23, 2020 10:51 Reuters and Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Senior Web Editor

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Rome: Italian farmer Cristian Mallocci could not believe his eyes when Spelacchia, one of his eight dogs, gave birth to a green-furred puppy. The tiny dog, immediately named Pistachio, was part of a five-dog litter born on Oct. 9, all with white fur, the same colour as their mixed breed mum. Except him. Image Credit: Reuters

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Mallocci runs a farm on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia with his brother-in-law Giannangelo Liperi. It is extremely rare for a dog to be born with green-coloured fur. It is thought that it happens when pale coloured puppies have contact in their mother's womb with a green pigment called biliverdin. Image Credit: Reuters

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It is the same pigment that causes the green colour in bruises. However, Pistachio's peculiar colour won't last forever. The bright green his fur had on the day of his birth has faded day by day and it will continue to do so as he gets older. Image Credit: Reuters

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While his brothers and sisters will be given away to new homes, Mallocci will keep Pistachio on his farm and train him up to look after the sheep with his mother Spelacchia (Italian for "mangy"). Image Credit: Reuters

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Mallocci said that during these tough times of the coronavirus pandemic, green is the symbol of hope and luck, so maybe it was meant to be that Pistachio could put a smile on people's faces. Image Credit: Reuters

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Pistachio, a puppy who was born with green fur, is seen on the day he was born on a farm on the island of Sardinia, in Pattada, Italy. Image Credit: Reuters

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Unfur-gettable: Puppy with green fur born in Sardinia

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Unfur-gettable: Puppy with green fur born in Sardinia

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