The 17-month-old pup was born with an irresistibly squishy face and baby blue eyes, but it's his blush pink fur and skin that really makes him stand out from the crowd. His unusual colouring is caused by a lack of pigmentation inherited from an albino pug in his lineage, and when 33-year-old Maria spotted the pink pup among his brothers and sisters, she knew she had to have him.

Maria, from London, brought Milkshake home when he was 10 weeks old and he has since gone on to become Instagram famous, with more than 55,100 followers. Maria said: ''I had never even heard of pink pugs before, but when I went to the breeder and spotted Milkshake I thought he was adorable, and knew I had to have him. They're very rare. At the time, I think Milkshake was one of 30 in the world but there have been a few litters. There's no more than 100 worldwide. He's not actually albino – he just has the colouring so he doesn't suffer from any sight loss or hearing loss. He's a happy healthy boy.''

The loving owner described Milkshake as quirky, happy-go-lucky and friendly, as well as being 'very spoiled'. He accompanies Maria to her work meetings and is treated to weekly visits to a dog spa, where he gets pampered with pedicures before getting dolled up in cute outfits for photo shoots, after which he gets treated to some chicken. As well as being Insta-famous, Milkshake takes part in national dog shows and has a trainer who is working with him so he can feature in adverts and films in the future.

Maria continued: ''Milkshake is the most famous pink pug on social media. His Instagram started just as a bit fun but straight away he got such a positive response. A lot of people messaged me saying they'd had a bad day and seeing Milkshake really cheered them up which encouraged me to post more. His following just kept getting bigger and bigger. Maria admitted some of Milkshake's Instagram followers get 'star-struck' when they see him in real life, and it's easy to see why when he's so adorable.