Nova Scotia Bulldog Stuns Owners by Giving Birth to a Bright Green Puppy

The bulldog puppy, who is being called Fiona after the ogre princess in Shrek, will lose her green coloring in the weeks ahead

Photo: Audra Rhys

Trevor Mosher and Audra Rhys have been calling their new puppy Fiona — after the ogre princess from the film Shrek — and with one look at the dog's fur, it's easy to see why.

According to Global News, Rhys and Mosher's three-year-old valley bulldog, Freya, gave birth to seven healthy puppies, one right after the other, on Jan. 27 in Nova Scotia.

Shortly after Freya sat down to rest with her new puppies, the bulldog gave birth to one more puppy. This young canine was born surrounded by a black sac, distinctly different from the translucent sacs the other puppies had.

Rhys and Mosher worried something was wrong with the last puppy until the baby dog started to move and make noise. As the married couple cleaned the last puppy off, they realized the canine's light fur had a bright green tint.

Audra Rhys

Audra Rhys

"So we googled it, 'my puppy is green, what's wrong,' and apparently it is very rare, and it has happened a few times all over the world," Mosher told Global News.

According to CNN, light-colored dogs are born green on rare occasions, likely after contact with biliverdin — a green pigment found in bile — while in the womb. The pigment dyes the fur before the puppy is born, and the color fades after the puppy enters the world.

Rhys told PEOPLE that Freya's healthy green puppy, who she shares with American bulldog Loki, is already starting to lose her odd coloring and is now "a light lime green."