Puppies come in all shapes and sizes, and what’s surprising is that animals can actually share a lot of the same illnesses and conditions that humans can have. But like humans, that doesn’t make them any less beautiful.
Vitiligo is a long-term condition where white patches can develop on the skin caused by the lack of melanin, and pretty much everyone in the world has seen pictures of the beautiful Winnie Harlow who has the condition herself. But until today, we never knew that animals could develop vitiligo!
Well, it turns out that they can, and this adorable black lab is melting everyone’s hearts.
Meet Blaze, a 10-year-old Labrador retriever from Finland who lives his dad, Santeri Frilander. This adorable pooch was actually born with an all-black coat, but he began to develop the skin condition as he grew older.
“The white color began spreading from a small spot on his ear,” Santeri told Bored Panda. “Interestingly, all of his brothers and sisters still remain single-colored.”
Santeri shared a pic of Blaze in all his spotted glory to a Facebook group called Dogspotting Society, and it immediately went viral. People couldn’t get enough of his gorgeous coat, and within no time the image had 32K reactions and Blaze became a local celebrity.
So how has having vitiligo affected Blaze’s life? Well, to give the simple answer — it hasn’t! Apart from Blaze’s newfound fame, he’s still the same happy, energetic pooch that he used to be. Vitiligo is simply a skin condition, and Blaze doesn’t allow it to get in the way of his life at all. And so he shouldn’t! Santeri said:
“Blaze is a healthy and very energetic guy. He’s always ready to join you wherever you go. He even loves to travel inside a car”
Looking at this pic of Blaze shared on his very own Instagram, which shows him bounding along happily, it’s clear to see that he’s just like any other dog. The only difference is those gorgeous black booties he has on. Where did he get them from?
Blaze’s beautiful markings make him the perfect Instagram model, and unsurprisingly his account has gained 3,945 followers since Blaze’s first post in January. People just can’t get enough of his beautiful markings.
The adorable pooch has lived with his owners since he was a puppy, and over time he’s acquired some affectionate nicknames.
“He is 10 years old now, and has received a few nicknames because of his age, like ‘The Old Man’ and ‘The Funny Old Man.’” Santeri said.
Apparently, the adorable pooch is a real part of the family and loves people. He has a lovely nature and “he likes to make people happy and put a smile on their faces.” Well, he’s certainly put a smile on our face!
Let Blaze be a reminder that ‘imperfections’ are beautiful, and that this beauty should be celebrated! We can’t wait to see more pics of this sweet guy.
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