They say that truth is stranger than fiction. There’s nothing strange about the dogs in this story but they’ve certainly outdone fiction. In the classic Disney move “101 Dalmatians,” Perdita and Pongo are proud parents to a litter of 15 puppies. Miley, a real-life Dalmatian who lives in Australia, recently gave birth to an astounding 18 pups. It’s the biggest litter ever in Australia and ties the world record.
It’s normal enough for Dalmatians to have large litters, typically anywhere from six to nine puppies. Perhaps that’s why breeder Cecilia Langton-Bunker who runs CCDalmatians was more than a little skeptical when the vet who gave Miley an ultrasound said there were only three. Even though Miley was a first-time mom (they usually have smaller litters), Cecilia expected a very large litter, perhaps as many as 16.
Poor Miley had to endure 13 grueling hours of labor before all 18 puppies were born, 12 girls and 6 boys. Despite her best efforts, a litter this large was too much for mom to take care of on her own, so humans had to help out, bottle-feeding the puppies every four hours, around the clock. Cecilia joked that their dad Astro was still getting over the shock: “He’s a bit disconcerted by the 18 puppies running around, he’s like, ‘Are these all mine?'”
The best part is that the puppies were all healthy and have been doing quite well. According to Cecilia, “The litter has been very inspirational to watch growing up and a great credit goes to Jade Martin, a midwife who has nurtured the puppies. All 18 puppies are thriving and are credit to the parents.”
Check out the video posted below and let us know what you think of this amazing mom and her giant litter. We’d love to hear from you in the comments at Facebook. Be sure to like and share, too!