A dalmatian expecting three pups gave birth to an 18-puppy world record litter. After 13 hours of labor, three-year-old Miley surprised her owners with 12 female and six male pups. “We realized when the final one was born that we had something spectacular,” said breeder Cecilia Langton-Bunker, who left.
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| Dalmatian with her puppies |
“Initially, the vet stated there would be three, but I felt there would be more than that and imagined there would be 15 or 16,” Cecilia, 43, of CC Dalmatians, said. Dalmatians typically produce eight to ten puppies, with first-time mothers having less.
“Pongo and Perdita had 15 puppies in the 101 Dalmatians movie, so we beat them.” In Ballarat, Australia, seven veterinary nurses were required to care about the monstrous litter. Mum Miley, whose pedigree name is Sarasota From Russia With Love, and dad Astro Wonder Boy, also known as Astro, had never previously had pups.
Their colossal brood was born on May 18 after 13-and-a-half-hour labor that began at 7 a.m. and finished at 8.30 p.m. The puppies were born at a pace of around one every hour, with the exception of one that kept the expecting parents waiting for two hours.