Farmers are used to seeing odd sights in nature, but an Italian farmer recently got the surprise of his life.
Cristian Mallocci lives on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia where he raises sheep, cattle, horses, and other livestock. He has eight dogs who work on his ranch, but it’s Spelacchia whose latest litter is making worldwide headlines.
Spelacchia, which means “mangy” in Italian, is a white mixed-breed dog who just became a mom to five puppies.
All of her new pups have white fur like she does… except for one who stood out rather prominently. Yes, that is a green puppy you see nursing beside his siblings!
While it’s extremely rare, there have been other reports of puppies born with green fur. It happens when pale-colored dogs touch biliverdin, a green pigment, in the womb. Biliverdin is actually the reason bruises turn green on our skin.
Cristian named the puppy Pistachio for his unique coat, even though the name will last longer than the pigment. In time, the amount of biliverdin in Pistachio’s fur will fade away to reveal a normal pale coat.
Cristian said Pistachio’s color is already fading a bit each day, but he’s no less special in his dad’s eyes. Of all the puppies in Spelacchia’s litter, Pistachio is the only one Cristian is keeping for himself. The other pups will be given away to farmers who need good sheepherding dogs.
Even though the green pigment won’t last forever, Cristian thinks Pistachio’s birth is a sign of good things to come. Since 2020 has been a challenging year for just about everyone, Cristian believes the color of hope and luck must mean better days are on the horizon!
We agree, Cristian! A one-in-a-million puppy birth like this one has to be a positive sign!
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