Some people have always been wary about adopting a dog with an unusual appearance. But this isn’t the case for this family from Texas, who decide to take home a Golden Retriever with an uncommon genetic mutation. Little did they know that the pup will soon become an Instagram star and an inspiration to kids with birthmarks, too.
When Eli Castro and his family met the Golden Retriever puppy, Enzo Viola, back in 2017, they were immediately fascinated by the strange black mark on his face. The pup was the only one in his litter with such a splotch, so after asking about the puppy from the breeder, they eventually learned that it was because of a cellular somatic mutation.
The mutation was no more than a harmless glitch that caused Enzo’s golden fur to turn dark. And they were informed it would not affect his health, just his appearance. Despite the puppy’s odd looks, Eli and his family decided to push through with the adoption and bring home Enzo in late February that year.
The adorable Golden Retriever grew to be quite normal from there. Just like any other dog, he would spend most of his days playing with Eli’s kids and getting into all sorts of mischief. He also loved playing fetch and stealing socks from the backyard whenever his fur parents let him out.
Eli and his kids, Ella and Clarissa, would often share Enzo’s hilarious shenanigans and adventures on his very own Instagram account. They would typically post cute photos of him playing with sticks and being goofy during walks.
Because of the pooch’s unusual markings, he began attracting a handful of followers on the platform until he eventually surpassed the 100,000-mark. Enzo’s online fans had already grown to almost 200,000 to date, and his family couldn’t be prouder to see him make other people happy, too.
Eli shared that they loved getting messages from Enzo’s followers, especially from kids with birthmarks who find the dog’s markings as a boost of confidence. The Castros hope that Enzo could inspire more people to embrace themselves and their appearance. Watch one of the canine’s goofy clips here.
Courtesy of mister.enzoviola
