'They must be checked': Bright blue stray dogs spotted in Russia, experts concerned

A pack of stray dogs in Russia have now left the internet berserk with their shiny blue coats. The dogs were discovered in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region by a user who then uploaded their picture on Russian social media platform VK. Although their blue colour has left internet amused, experts and environmentalists have raised concerns against the unnatural hue.

As per a report by Daily Mail, the strange colouring of the hounds is thought to have been caused by chemical waste near an abandoned Soviet-era plant in Dzerzhinsk. The chemical production facility once made hydrocyanic acid and plexiglass and was shut down six years ago due to bankruptcy. After the photos surfaced online, concerned authorities have sent a team who are tasked with taking the trays for a medical examination.

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"They must be checked, their health must be assessed, and the reason for their hair dye must be found," a government spokesperson was quoted as saying by ANI. "Talks are being held with the chiefs of the enterprise about the possibility of catching the dogs," he added.

Credits: VK.com

'Homeless dogs' 

Speaking to Sputnik, Andrey Mislivets, the plant's bankruptcy manager opined that the dogs may have found some copper waste which turned their coats blue. "Homeless dogs are running around. Perhaps in one of the buildings, they found some chemical residue like copper sulphate," he said. He further clarified that it wouldn’t be possible for the country to get the dog treated due to cash crunch. 

Dzerzhinsk, located around 370 kilometres from Moscow, was among Russia's principal production sites of chemical weapons till the end of Soviet-era in the early 1990s. Today, Dzerzhinsk is still a significant centre of Russian chemical manufacturing and houses multiple plants excreting lethal waste. 

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