A Florida puppy born with green fur has gone viral overnight because of its unique – albeit temporary – coloring. The pup, named Shamrock, was born on March 3 – and was already dressed and ready for St. Patrick’s Day according to the family that cares for him.
Carole DeBruler, owner of Golden Treasures Kennel in Pensacola, Florida, began posting photos and videos of the puppies shortly after they were born. But it was a video posted on TikTok on March 26 explaining the Shamrock’s unique color that catapulted the latest ‘man’s best friend’ to viral fame.
In the video, which has been viewed more than 8 million times, DeBruler said Shamrock was “born lucky” and that her color is a result of being dyed with bilirubin (a natural pigment), likely caused by bile in the mother’s womb dog.
Samrock is very easy to spot as she is the only fluffy puppy.
She is already starting to find her normal color
Although it can be somewhat alarming to see a green golden retriever, the condition is harmless and will fade as Samrock grows. And despite being somewhat smaller than her siblings, Shamrock is “happy and healthy,” DeBruler said in a follow-up video. A few weeks after she was born, her green coloring was “starting to fade,” DeBruler said in a video posted March 31 — but the pup’s “vivacious personality just keeps getting stronger.”
Shamrock and her siblings are known as ‘English cream golden retrievers’, meaning their coats are on the whiter end of the golden retriever color spectrum. The Golden Retriever’s breed standard states that the dog has a coat of “rich, lustrous gold of various shades,” according to the Golden Retriever Club of America’s website.
Golden retrievers born in the same litter can even have a variety of colors, reports the Golden Retriever Club of America, “with full siblings varying in color from very light cream to rich gold,” the group reports.
In the main photo of the article, you can see her as a “big puppy” with the green faded.
@living_the_golden_life She is healthy and happy! #fypviraltiktok🖤シ゚☆♡viral #fyp #pet #puppylove #shamrock #greenpuppy #itsnoteasybeinggreen #green #goldenretriever ♬ Irish Jig – Irish Pub Society
