More than average

London, Dec. 20 (PTI): Pebbles, a two-and-half-year-old Dalmatian in Britain, surprised everyone when she gave birth to 15 healthy puppies — more than twice the average litter for her breed.

Owner Kay Sullivan said no one expected her dog to have the same number of pups as the first litter in the film 101 Dalmatians. Sullivan said they had to start feeding the first one again by the time they reached the last.

“We were expecting an average litter of about seven or eight. We weren’t expecting 15. It’s a bit much,” she was quoted as saying by the BBC. The family are amazed all the pups have survived as they were worried about one in particular, but he had since pulled through.

Since Pebbles was too ill to look after her brood straightaway, the Sullivan family is helping her out.

“When they were first born, all we were doing was feeding them. By the time we had fed the last one, it was time to go back to the first one,” Sullivan said.

When Pebbles was well enough, she played her part, though she remains a little wary. Sullivan said: “She’s great with them. She goes in to just feed them and other than that she keeps away from them.

Sullivan, 45, who is not a dog breeder, said she wanted to sell most of the pups, thought to be worth about £450 each, but could keep one or two. One buyer has already been lined up in Italy.