It all started with a few small white spots around his eyes and chin.
Buster was just 2 years old when his owner, Matt Smith, noticed that detail in his black coat. In just 9 months, the dog’s face was already almost completely white. Veterinarians diagnosed him with vitiligo, an autoimmune condition that causes the cells responsible for pigment to stop functioning, and the color gradually disappears from the skin and fur.
Matt documented every stage of the change and shared it on Reddit: “there was a time when his hair fell out in some areas until the new white fur grew in”, he said. After 2 and a half years, the Labrador who was once completely black is now white from head to tail. Doctors were clear: vitiligo does not hurt him or affect his health; it is purely cosmetic. Online users were quick to compare him to Michael Jackson, who lived with the same condition.
