Who doesn’t love babies? Moreover, whose heart doesn’t melt at the sight of cute little puppies?
Pre-pandemic, Bella, a cross of Labrador and Collie, and Archie, a mix of Irish setter and English Spaniel, were set to be neutered. It was rescheduled because of Covid-19.
Mary Killing from Crecora in Limerick, the owner of these two dogs, did her best to prevent the two from getting Bella pregnant. She did everything she could to set them apart, from nappies, using Vick’s Vaporub, and literally keeping them apart for a couple of days. But none of these seemed to be effective.
On July 25, her 15-month-old dog gave birth to 16 pups. The litter comprises equally divided pups, eight boys and eight girls. Unfortunately, one of the babies died.
At the age of 51, Mary stared in disbelief and awe that her loving dog gave birth to many puppies. The vet told her that Bela would have eight to ten puppies. So, exceeding that expectation is quite remarkable.
This proud owner can still retell the day her wonderful dog birthed 16 pups. During an episode of Game of Thrones, she noticed Bella sitting next to her was already in labor. After the first pup came out, she was moved on to something more comfortable. The following day, all the dogs were already excited to move around and get familiar with the surroundings, so to avoid losing them, they were temporarily put into a suitcase.
Having a bunch of puppies to care for is a handful of work. The Killing family decided to keep the firstborn. Their eleven-year-old son, Isaac, named him Wally, and he got that from ‘Where’s Wally’ because he loves to hide. Their family and friends were given the rest of the litter.
Image source: Metro News