GOLSPIE, Scotland – Dog owner Louise Sutherland from Scotland got the surprise of her life when her golden retriever gave birth to a green puppy last week.
Yep, you read that right.
Sutherland named the green pup Forest, according to The Sun. Forest is one of nine puppies who her 3-year-old retriever, Rio, gave birth to.
“The first pup was stuck, so myself and my daughter Claire managed to free him and pull him out safely,” Sutherland told The Sun. “It was all hands on deck but then as the puppies started to arrive, we noticed that one of the puppies had green fur. We couldn’t believe it.”
This isn’t the first time a green puppy has been born. It has happened at least three other times before.
Veterinarians believe that the green fur is caused by an exposure to biliverdin—a green bile pigment found in the placenta, according to Time magazine in 2014.
Time magazine reports that the color tends to fade within a few weeks. Sutherland tells The Sun that Forest’s fur has already started fading.
“The color has faded quite a bit already and will be gone soon, I’m told.”
While the other puppies will be going to other loving homes, Sutherland says she will be keeping Forest.
