A pack of blue-furred dogs has been spotted at Chernobyl, the infamous site of a 1986 nuclear meltdown. Pictures of the blue dogs started spreading online, instantly sparking panic about genetically mutated dogs—like they’re some creature to be obliterated in a Fallout game.
Luckily, some actual scientists chimed in to explain that, no, these are not genetically mutated animals. They’re just dirty… in a Woodstock 99 kind of way.
Are the Blue Dogs of Chernobyl Radioactive? The Answer is No, They Are Not.
There is an organization out there called Dogs of Chernobyl. IFLScience spoke to the team, who confirmed that the images they released online of the blue dogs were authentic. They also clarified that the photos were of three separate dogs, all photographed in Chernobyl on October 6, 2025.
The researchers even provided a reason the dogs were blue, and it has nothing to do with a nuclear mutation. They are blue because of porta-potties.
Apparently, the dogs had been rolling in the bright blue chemical fluid used to deodorize human waste in portable toilets. Speaking with IFLScience, Dogs of Chernobyl’s Veterinary Medical Director, Dr. Jennifer Betz, said, “We are not in any way saying that it is related to radiation in Chornobyl.”
Other than the fact that they have been rolling in portable toilet juice, the dogs appear to be healthy, or as healthy as a pack of stray dogs can be.
The Chernobyl dogs are descendants of pets left behind after the 1986 nuclear disaster, when 120,000 people were evacuated from the area. Decades later, their progeny roam the ghost towns around Pripyat, becoming accidental social media sensations in the process.
The dogs of Chernobyl program has spayed or neutered over 1,000 of these dogs since 2017, in an effort to keep this semi-feral population from over-expanding.
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