Have you ever heard of the blue dogs of Chernobyl? As reported by People magazine, dogs with bright blue fur were spotted last October in the Chernobyl exclusion zone in Ukraine.
Their striking coats naturally sparked a great deal of speculation. Many people thought the colour could be a reaction to radiation.
A less radioactive explanation
On 13th November 2025, a professor of biological sciences at the University of South Carolina and scientific advisor to Dogs of Chernobyl suggested another, very surprising reason.
According to him, the blue dye probably comes from portable toilets that the dogs have been rolling in, much like a cat would use a litter tray.
A sign of poor hygiene
For the scientist, it is a “sign of the dogs' poor hygiene.” In his message, he clarified, “Despite the media hype surrounding the Chernobyl dogs, the blue dogs do not reflect any mutation or evolutionary adaptation to radiation, but are rather the result of the dogs' unsanitary behaviour.”
It is worth remembering that the dogs of Chernobyl cannot leave the area without permission. This makes it more difficult for charities to help and care for them.
