Dog Has 16 Puppies In One Of Largest Litters Ever

There is a dog in Ireland that must’ve been aiming for the world record when she gave birth to one of the largest litters we’ve ever seen.

Bella is a cross between a collie and a labrador and this past summer she had 16 puppies! She was due to go to the veterinarian to be spayed but it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and she ended up pregnant instead.

Mary Killing, the dog’s owner, speaks about the doggy romance that sparked the issue. It took place between Bella and Archie, who is a cross between an English Spaniel and an Irish setter. Although she did her best to keep them apart, they must’ve been together at some point.

In the end, there was a litter of 16 puppies and they are absolutely adorable!

According to The Mirror, Mary said that they didn’t consider the veterinarian appointment to be urgent, so it was canceled. They had separated Archie and Bella, using everything from Vicks Vapor Rub to nappies, but it wasn’t enough.

On July 25, Bella went into labor and she continued delivering puppies until the early hours of the 26th. It was an even split, with 8 girls and 8 boys. Unfortunately, one of the puppies died during birth.

Mary admits that she was in shock. After all, the vet had told the family they could expect up to 10 puppies. She loves the fact that there were 15, and she feels that it may be some type of record. They had to put them in a suitcase the next day to count them because they were moving all over the place.

The family is keeping the firstborn puppy, Wally, who was named by Isaac, an 11-year-old boy. He chose Wally because the puppy loves to play hide and seek, just like Where’s Waldo!

Mary will be giving the puppies away to family and friends, provided they are cared for like one of the family. This weekend they will be going to their forever homes, so we hope they are settled in and enjoying life by next week.