Dogs with bright blue fur were found near an abandoned chemical plant in the Russian city of Dzerzhinsk recently.
It’s believed that the poor dogs got their color after being exposed to harmful chemicals that leaked from the plant.
Take a look at these pictures …
The factory was owned by a company named Orgsteklo that went bankrupt in 2015. The plant is part of a complex of abandoned buildings that produced plexiglass and hydrocyanic acid. After it was abandoned, animals — including stray dogs — frequented the grounds.
It’s not known exactly what caused the bright blue color in their fur but they may have been exposed to hydrocyanic acid, which is basically hydrogen cyanide dissolved in water — a very poisonous compound. Copper sulfate is also thought to be a factor, being a bright blue inorganic compound used in industrial processes.
One thing’s for sure … the dogs’ color implies that they have had direct contact with something potentially toxic or harmful. These types of chemicals pose serious health risks, so euthanasia was initially thought of as a solution to help the dogs.
The good news is that a veterinary staff treated the dogs to determine if there was any damage to their health … and the vets found that all seven dogs that were found were in good health.
In even better news, the story went viral and two of the dogs have since been adopted and are in loving homes.
What is sad, though, is there are probably many other animals that have been affected and not known about.
At Karmagawa and SaveTheReef we want to get this story out because our actions have lasting effects on our planet and all the living things. Companies need to take on more responsibility for their business practices. As you can see from this story, even if a company goes bankrupt, there are animals that could still suffer long after the company is gone.
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What do you think about these dogs that were found in Russia? Leave a comment below.
(Cover image: LuYago/Shutterstock)