Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:

Learn More

Green Puppy Named Pistachio Brings Luck To His Family

Written by: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| Published on October 23, 2020

Some people see green as a sickly color, but others recognize it as a sign of luck. For a newborn puppy named Pistachio, green is as lucky as can be! Why? Because he was born with a beautiful green coat amid a litter of white siblings.

Green might only seem like a plausible color for cartoon puppies, but Pistachio is as real as can be. When Pistachio’s dad got a glimpse of the pup’s bright-colored coat, he was shocked. But luckily, he had heard about the green puppy phenomenon, so he knew there was no need to panic.

Green puppy
Image: @Reuters/Twitter

Why is Pistachio Green?

It seems nearly impossible for a white mixed breed dog to give birth to one solid green pup in a litter of five. Spelacchia, the proud parent, had four white puppies that looked exactly like her and one that looked almost like an alien. Luckily, her human named Cristian Mallocci from Sardinia, had recently heard a story about green puppies, so he knew exactly what to do.

Over the years, stories of dogs like a green Great Dane puppy and a green Labrador Retriever have gone viral. The odds of this happening are very rare, but not impossible. It’s suggested that the puppies get a green hue when they come into contact with a green pigment called biliverdin in their mother’s womb. This is the same pigment that we see in bruises on human skin.

Green puppy with litter
Image: @Reuters/Twitter

Mallocci lives on a farm where he has eight adult dogs. None of them look quite like Pistachio, but that’s okay! All four white puppies will go to different families, but Pistachio’s future will be even more special.

Green Means Luck!

In just a short amount of time, Mallocci has already grown fond of Pistachio. He has decided to keep the pup on the farm, where he will learn to look after sheep just like his mom.

Green puppy growing up
Image: @Reuters/Twitter

Unfortunately, Pistachio’s unique color won’t last forever though. The color is very vibrant at birth, but it slowly fades over time. Even at only a few days old, Pistachio’s coat is noticeably lighter than it was at first. One day, he’ll probably look just like his siblings and mom, but Mallocci will always know that he’s special.

Even though the green won’t last, Mallocci sees Pistachio as a sign of luck. He pointed out that green is the color of hope and luck, so he believes that Pistachio was meant to be a good sign amid all the difficulties during the coronavirus. After all, Pistachio’s sweet puppy face is sure to bring anyone joy when they’re feeling down.

Green puppy fading
Image: @Reuters/Twitter

H/T: foxnews.com
Featured Image: @Reuters/Twitter

Recent Articles

Interested in learning even more about all things dogs? Get your paws on more great content from iHeartDogs!

Read the Blog