A Lime Green Golden Retriever Was Born In Florida, And The Rare Puppy Was Aptly Named "Shamrock"

Golden retrievers are known for their striking, lustrous coats of gold. But in March, just a few weeks before St. Patrick's Day, one golden retriever puppy arrived in the world looking quite different from her siblings. Shockingly enough, the pup, who was named Shamrock, was born with green fur.

Shamrock was born on March 3 in Pensacola, Florida. She emerged from the womb sporting a dark green hue, while the rest of the puppies in the litter of eight had classic cream-colored coats.

Shamrock was also the smallest puppy in the litter. She is being raised by dog breeders at Golden Treasures Kennel.

Carole DeBruler and her husband, Greg, have been raising golden retrievers for almost 17 years.

According to Carole, it's common for light-colored newborn puppies to have a greenish tint, and it usually comes right off after the mother cleans them. However, when Carole tried rubbing Shamrock's fur, the color didn't budge.

"With Shamrock, it did not go away," Carole said. "The mom cleaned her up, we washed her up, and it turned this vibrant lime green."

Two months after the puppy was born, most of the green hue had faded, but it still appears whenever she gets wet or when the fur doubles up on itself.

Shamrock was believed to be born green because she was exposed to biliverdin in the womb, which is a bile pigment that can mix with amniotic fluid, staining a pup's fur.

Although Shamrock might look a little different, she's healthy, happy, and has a feisty personality. She loves to wrestle and play with her siblings. Her favorite thing to do is swing.

Oleg - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual dog

After posting a video of the green puppy on social media, it quickly went viral. Many people called her Princess Fiona, referring to the character from the 2001 film Shrek.

Shamrock was also the first puppy from her litter to be selected for a forever home, and they will be keeping the name Shamrock.

"The gentleman getting her has just retired, and she will be his world. He loves her already so much," Carole said. "She's so loved now, and she's going to be so loved in the future—and that makes me happy."

Sign up for Chip Chick's newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.