Why This Adorable Golden Retriever Puppy Was Born Lime Green

One Golden Retriever has captured the internet's attention thanks to her unusually colorful fur. The aptly named Shamrock surprised plenty of people when she made her grand entrance into the world around St. Patrick's Day 2024, appearing to be fully decked out in her holiday best. Her human says that the green Golden Retriever puppy, who was born into a litter of a traditionally colored pups, owes her unique look to a pretty interesting phenomenon.

It sounds like Shamrock may not stay this way, so anyone who wants to check out the green Golden Retriever should hurry up and take a peek, because unlike the luck of the Irish, this puppy's festive flair isn't going to last forever. Keep reading to find out why Shamrock owes her green glow to her mama, and how long fans can expect to see her sporting the bright color on her fur.

Carole DeBruler has been sharing updates about Shamrock with her followers on TikTok, after introducing the new arrival just three days after her birth. Shamrock, along with her furry siblings, have been getting a lot of attention, with each of the videos about the pups getting thousands upon thousands of likes. Of course, much of their popularity is owed to Shamrock's surprising color, which UPI notes is a fairly rare occurrence, citing a Nova Scotia puppy from 2022 as the last known pup this color.

Surprisingly enough, Shamrock owes her dye job to her mom. According to DeBruler's posts, Shamrock was dyed by a green bile called biliverdin, that can sometimes be found in a mother's womb. Sadly for fans of Shamrock's lime green coat, her color is fleeting, and it began to fade just a few weeks after her birth.

According to an April 21, 2024 update from DeBruler, Shamrock's color had already faded, and was almost the same as her siblings, which means the green Golden Retriever's fans only got about a month to appreciate her unique look. But that's okay, because DeBruler made it a point to remind followers that the little pup had a lot more going for her than just her colorful coat, she also has a personality that will make other puppies green with envy.

DeBruler, who once called Shamrock "feisty" in a TikTok video, updated fans to let them know that Shamrock has grown into the sweetest puppy ever. At around 5 weeks old, Shamrock's lovability will only continue to grow, even if her awesome coloring has already faded from memory.

Now that everyone knows that dogs like Shamrock exist, I have a hunch more people will be on the lookout for similarly hued pups — but hopefully they try and find a Shamrock of their own through a rescue operation. While DeBruler seems like she offers her puppies plenty of love and enrichment activities, there are always ethical questions to be asked when it comes to breeding dogs to sell, especially when there are so many wonderful dogs in shelters and rescues already looking for their forever home.