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Family shocked when dog gives birth to lime green puppy: 'I started freaking out'

A white German Shepherd in North Carolina gave birth to a litter of puppies last week, but one looks very different than the rest.

Shana Stamey's family dog Gypsy's three-hour labor was going smoothly until the fourth puppy was born, leaving the family stunned.

“I started freaking out because it was green,” Stamey told WILX.

(Credit: Shana Stamey/WILX)

The lime green puppy may be an unusual color, but he, along with his seven siblings, is perfectly healthy. The Stameys noticed he has an "aggressive appetite," which along with his green color led them to come up with the name Hulk.

"He was lime green and super mad, so yeah, he became Hulk," Stamey said.

While a green puppy is certainly rare, it isn't totally unheard of. In 2017, a puppy named appropriately named Forest in the Scottish Highlands was born a shade of green.

The phenomenon is believed to happen when light-colored puppies are stained by a green pigment found in stomach bile, CNN reported. And the color doesn't last for long. Stamey told WILX that the lime green color will fade over time.

"Mom licks it away until I bathe it, and then, I guess after a couple of washes, it will finally fade out," Stamey said.

When they’re old enough, the pups will be put up for adoption, she added.