Animals
‘Milkshake’ the Rare Pink Pug is One of Less Than 100 in the World
Milkshake the pink pug quickly became a star on social media.
(TMU) — Milkshake the pink pug quickly became a star on social media when his mom Maria started posting photos and videos on Instagram in November of 2018. Milkshake is an adorable and quite a rare pup—one of around only 100 worldwide.
Born with the adorably squishy face of a pug but blessed with baby blue eyes and blush pink fur and skin, he is quite a unique little fellow.
It’s his unusual coloring that made him stand out in the litter of pug pups, making Maria want to take him home with her. He inherited his coloring, caused by lack of pigmentation, from an albino pug in his lineage.
Maria, who lives in London, was able to take Milkshake home when he was 10 weeks old and started sharing his life on Instagram. Not surprisingly, he rose to insta-stardom quickly, with more the 65k followers currently and growing.
Maria described first seeing the pup:
‘’I had never even heard of pink pugs before, but when I went to the breeder and spotted Milkshake I thought he was adorable, and knew I had to have him.
‘They’re very rare. At the time, I think Milkshake was one of 30 in the world but there have been a few litters. There’s no more than 100 worldwide.”
‘’He’s not actually albino—he just has the coloring so he doesn’t suffer from any sight loss or hearing loss. He’s a happy healthy boy.’’
According to Maria, Milkshake is a quirky, happy-go-lucky, friendly pup. He joins Maria during meetings at work and gets pampered with manicures and pedicures at his weekly visits to a dog spa in preparation for his photo shoots, where he is dressed in cute outfits before ending his day with a well-deserved treat of chicken.
Milkshake also participates in national dog shows and, with an eye one his future, he has a trainer working with him for a possible modeling and acting career in adverts and movies.
‘’Milkshake is the most famous pink pug on social media. His Instagram started just as a bit fun but straight away he got such a positive response,’’ Maria said of his rise to fame. ‘’A lot of people messaged me saying they’d had a bad day and seeing Milkshake really cheered them up which encouraged me to post more.”
‘’His following just kept getting bigger and bigger.’’
With a dose of cuteness overload, it’s only natural that some of his Instagram followers find themselves star-struck when they see the pup in real life. We hope Milkshake keeps those adorable pink paws firmly planted on the ground, no matter how bright his star shines.
According to Pets4Homes, every true pink pug has a rare genetic disorder called albinism, a gene mutation that causes a complete lack of melanin. The condition is also seen in humans, gorillas, dogs, cats, rats, deer, dolphins, fish, lizards, snakes, and many others. Those born with albinism are not be able to produce melanin, the main pigment that colors the skin, hair, and other tissue, including the eyes.
A similar condition in which an animal can lack pigment everywhere except for their eyes is called leucistic and thus is not a true albino. Albinos are extremely vulnerable to UV light and sun exposure. Strong UV light sources can cause skin cancer and damage to the eyes, which could lead to blindness.
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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