Icon: enlarge
Pistacchio: The green puppy was born in Sardinia on October 9th
Photo: CRISTIAN MALLOCCI / via REUTERS
Cristian Mallocci couldn't believe his eyes at first on October 9th.
Spelacchia, one of his eight dogs, had just given birth to five puppies: four with white fur, like the mother, a mixed breed dog - and one with green fur.
The Italian farmer called this pistacchio (pistachio) because of its special color.
Together with his brother-in-law Giannangelo Liperi, Mallocci runs a farm on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
According to experts, it is rare for a dog to be born with a green cast in its coat.
That was the case almost exactly a year ago in Wermelskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Düsseldorf veterinarian Christian Dimitriadis explained the phenomenon at the time with the fact that the placenta dissolves at birth before the little dog is even born.
In this way, the animal comes into contact with the substance biliverdin, which causes the green color of the fur.
Icon: enlarge
Mixed breed dog Spelacchia with her puppies
Photo: CRISTIAN MALLOCCI / via REUTERS
Pistacchio should not keep its unusual pistachio look for long: The light green that his fur had on the day he was born fades from day to day.
Soon he will be just as white as his mother and siblings.
While these are to be given away to new owners, farmer Mallocci wants to keep little Pistacchio on his farm - and train him to tend the sheep with his mother Spelacchia.
Green is the symbol of hope and luck, says Mallocci.
Perhaps Pistacchio could put a smile on people's faces in these difficult times of the corona pandemic.
Icon: The mirror
wit / Reuters