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clock-iconPUBLISHEDApril 30, 2024
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One Adorable Green Puppy Among New Arrivals For Golden Retriever Mama

It might not be easy being green, but it is absolutely precious.

Eleanor Higgs headshot

Eleanor Higgs

Eleanor Higgs headshot

Eleanor Higgs

Digital Content Creator

Eleanor has an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Reading and a master’s in wildlife documentary production from the University of Salford.

Digital Content Creator

Eleanor has an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Reading and a master’s in wildlife documentary production from the University of Salford.View full profile

Eleanor has an undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of Reading and a master’s in wildlife documentary production from the University of Salford.

View full profile
EditedbyLaura Simmons
Laura Simmons headshot

Laura Simmons

Health & Medicine Editor

Laura holds a Master's in Experimental Neuroscience and a Bachelor's in Biology from Imperial College London. Her areas of expertise include health, medicine, psychology, and neuroscience.

A litter of small cream colored golden retriever young puppies are feeding from mom. One puppy is a pale shade of green.

While it might look unusual, the condition is not harmful.

Image credit: living_the_golden_life / Golden Treasures Kennel via Storyful


Dog breeder Carole DeBruler, who is the co-owner of Golden Treasures Kennel, took to social media to share the arrival of her latest litter of golden retriever puppies. However, one among the litter was clearly different to their siblings, being born with a strange green tint to their fur. 

Shamrock, as the pup has been named, was born with green fur in Pensacola, Florida, USA, on March 3. While none of her cream-colored siblings have been born this way, the color apparently comes from the bile pigment biliverdin, which can stain pups green in the womb. 

"Even though she looks different, she is healthy, she's happy," DeBruler told USA Today

Fortunately, Shamrock is expected to have no ill-effects and will soon grow out her green fur, leaving her cream like the rest of her litter mates. A video posted on their TikTok page shows Shamrock with only the smallest green tinge that shows up more if her fur gets wet. 

This phenomenon is surprisingly common with green puppies popping up every now and then, including Mojito who was born in October 2019. However, there are many fewer cases of wild green mammals.


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