Pit Bull Gives Birth to Green Puppy, Family Names Dog Fiona in Cute Nod to“ ”the “Shrek ”Movies

The baby pit bull's green coat, caused by biliverdin entering the dog's amniotic fluid, should only last for a few weeks before it fades away

Annise Tooley and her boyfriend, Greg Fucich, recently helped their pregnant pit bull Pearl give birth to a litter of puppies, and one of the baby dogs had a certain glow that set her apart from her siblings.

The standout pup that Pearl welcomed into the world on Sunday, Nov. 3, in Hancock County, Mississippi, arrived with the same pink ears and nose as her littermates but also a surprising green-colored coat.

Tooley initially didn't notice the green tint on the puppy's white coat because the green puppy was born first. When the second puppy arrived — with white fur, like its mother — Tooley realized the first pit bull pup's color was odd by comparison.

"Why are one of my puppies that my American Pit had ... green?" Tooley said to WLOX, recalling her Google search.

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The pet parent's search led her to information about biliverdin, a natural pigment that can sometimes mix with a dog's amniotic fluid. Biliverdin, which colors bile and some bruises, can stain a pup's fur green in the womb when it is present in the dog's amniotic fluid.

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Shortly before St. Patrick's Day 2024, a golden retriever puppy was born with a similar green coat due to biliverdin contact. The pup was later named Shamrock. Green fur due to biliverdin is rare, harmless, and temporary. The green color fades away over several weeks.

While researching her own green pup, Tooley found other stories of green puppies online, including one about an Italian puppy named Pistachio. The clever names that pet parents gave their green dogs in the past seemed to inspire Tooley.

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"We decided to name her Fiona after the Shrek movie, the female in Shrek," Tooley told WLOX on the name they picked out for their green pit bull pup.

Already the owners of four dogs, the couple plans to find new homes for Fiona and the other new puppies.