It was quite a shock for farmer Cristian Mallocci when his dog, Spelacchia, gave birth to her litter of puppies. The mixed-breed pooch gave birth to five healthy pups. The first four were all born with pristine white fur. But there was something very different about the fifth little guy. He came out all green!
Mallocci, who was runs a farm in Italy with his brother-in-law, is no stranger to having dogs. He has eight of them. However, this is the first time that he’s ever witnessed a dog that was actually born green. Given the little male puppy’s vibrant fur coloring, he decided on the only appropriate name for the pooch: Pistachio. The name definitely matches his fur since it’s a yellowish lime green color very similar to the nut. While Pistachio’s fur is definitely a rarity, it’s not unheard of for some puppies to be born a greenish color.
As it turns out, the green pigmentation is a result of a light-colored puppy who comes in contact with the pigment known as biliverdin while in their mother’s womb. This pigment is also what gives bruises their greenish color. The pigment itself is harmless to the pup. But as cute as a little green dog is, Pistachio won’t have his green color forever. Eventually, it will fade. And according to Mallocci, it has started to do so.
Mallocci will be putting the other four pups up for adoption when they are old enough, but he plans to keep Pistachio with him on the farm. He already has plans for the pup to take over as a sheepherder when he is grown. Sounds like Pistachio has a bright future ahead of him!
