Stray Dogs Turned Blue By Chemical Waste Near Russian Factory

• The bizarre color was said to be caused by the dogs’ exposure to chemical waste near an abandoned factory.
• The Soviet-era plant used to make hydrocyanic acid and plexiglass.
• The stray dogs may have encountered copper sulfate, a type of chemical that can cause inflammation.

Residents in the Nizhny Novgorod region in Russia spotted a strange sight – a pack of dogs with bright blue fur wandering in the area. The bizarre color was said to be caused by the dogs’ exposure to chemical waste near an abandoned factory.

Pictures of the dogs have surfaced online, which prompted authorities to catch them for a check-up. It was the locals near the Dzerzhinskoye Orgsteklo plant
who took the photos.

The Soviet-era plant, which was once a large chemical production facility, closed six years ago due to financial problems. The factory used to make hydrocyanic acid and plexiglass.

Andrey Mislivets, the plant’s bankruptcy manager, said that the stray dogs may have encountered copper sulphate, a type of chemicals that can cause inflammation, while they were roaming around the abandoned buildings within the vicinity.

“Possibly they found the remains of some old chemicals and rolled in it, and possibly it was copper sulfate,” he said.

Mislivets also revealed that something similar happened several years ago when stray dogs got unnatural “dyes”. He added that no one controlled the dogs and that is was not possible for the company, which is already financially bankrupt, to have the animals captured and steriled.

The authorities in the city reportedly sought permission to enter the private property to catch and check the polluted dogs.

“They must be checked, their health must be assessed, and the reason for their hair dye must be found.”

Copper sulfate can cause a stinging or burning sensation, which can lead to itching or inflammation.

A somewhat similar case happened in Mumbai, India in 2017. Some of the the stray dogs in the capital turned blue after swimming in and drinking from the polluted river.

The Navi Mumbai Animal Protection Cell claimed that this was caused by the dyes being released diretly into the river by industrial plants.