Family Steps In to Help Dog Give Birth to 14 Puppies While Owner is Abroad

While pet sitting for her brother’s dog, Tilly, Rhian Boxall was unexpectedly thrust into a stressful situation when the Labrador, who was initially only expected to deliver six puppies, went into labor a week early. Tilly gave birth to 14 puppies over the span of 15 hours, with two not surviving. Rhian was completely unprepared but managed to keep things under control, even seeking expert advice when one of the pups was born outside in the garden. She had to carefully warm the pup using a hairdryer to keep it alive. Rhian’s husband and children also assisted in caring for Tilly and the newborns. Despite the emotional rollercoaster, Rhian was able to get the puppies to safety until Tilly’s owner, Meirion, returned from his holiday in the Canary Islands. The unexpected early arrival of the pups was a surprise for the family, as the vet had previously told them to expect the birth closer to September 3. In the end, despite the chaos, the family is considering adopting one of the pups once they’re old enough to leave the litter.