Overview
- The Dogs of Chernobyl team documented at least three vividly blue-coated dogs in geotagged images taken October 6 and confirmed the footage is authentic.
- The NGO reports the affected dogs appear active and healthy, with staff attempting to safely capture them for veterinary and toxicology testing.
- Veterinary lead Dr. Jennifer Betz says the dogs likely rolled in an accumulated blue substance consistent with old portable-toilet fluid, not radiation.
- The episode follows past cases of chemically tinted strays in the region and has renewed interest in the exclusion zone’s long-studied dog population.
- Roughly 700 semi-feral dogs—descendants of pets left after the 1986 evacuation—live in the zone under a Clean Futures Fund program of feeding, vaccination, and sterilization.