Photos of a stray pack of bright blue dogs on a snowy road in Russia have circulated online.
In the photos of the dogs, it appears that the suit is all with varying amounts of cobalt on their coats.
The pictures was taken, according to The Moscow Times, in the city of Dzerzhinsk, 230 kilometers east of Moscow, and posted on the Russian social media site vk.com.
Some of the dogs are dark blue, but others are less pigmented.
The reaction to the photos on social media was mixed – some said the dogs looked like cartoon characters, while others expressed concern that their fur had been dyed blue due to contamination and were concerned about the health of the animals.
One Twitter user wrote: “Those blue dogs in Russia are the result of toxic pollution. NOT JOKING !!!!!”
It is suspected that the dogs could have picked up the characteristic color after being exposed to chemicals in a nearby abandoned factory.
The factory produced plexiglass and hydrosanoic acid, but closed six years ago after going bankrupt.
Hydrocynanic acid, a suspension of hydrogen cyanide in water, was originally isolated from the Prussian blue pigment and gets its name from cyan, the ancient Greek word for blue.
It is described as toxic by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which mentions one of its uses as a commercial dye as well as a chemical warfare agent.
The former bankruptcy manager of the chemical plant, Andrey Mislivets, told state-run RIA Novosti news agency that the factory’s buildings also store copper sulphate, a chemical known for its bright blue color.
LYagovy / iStock
“Stray dogs roam the area,” he said. “Maybe they found the remains of some old chemicals and rolled in them, and possibly it was copper sulfate.”
He reported that something similar happened ‘several years ago’ to animals that changed color after coming into contact with ‘unnatural dyes’.
RIA Novosti also reported that animal rights agencies said the health of the dogs was unlikely to be endangered. But, Newsweek contacted the ASPCA for their comments on the photos and possible risks to the health of the dogs.
According to reports, local authorities are currently negotiating with the management at the petrochemical company Orgsteklo for permission to enter the hatch factory site and catch the dogs to determine why their fur has changed color.
“According to the preliminary visual inspection, the dogs are in a satisfactory condition,” the Russian news agency Interfax told the city administration. “Tomorrow, specialists will enter the chemical factory grounds and find and examine the animals.”