Stray dog in Turkey gives birth to 16 puppies

By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan

MERSIN, Turkey (AA) - A stray dog in southern Turkey gave birth to 16 puppies Sunday in a cesarean operation -- a rare event, as dogs generally produce five to six puppies, though this number may vary based on the breed of dog.

A team of veterinarians in Mersin province took care of the stray dog and helped her deliver the puppies.

"After we received a call, our team went to Mut district, and we found the person who called us. They asked us to take care of a crossbred dog. When we brought her here, we saw that she was about to give birth,” said Mehmet Cucuk, a senior veterinarian.

The veterinarians decided on a cesarean operation because the dog had so many puppies to deliver. The operation took two hours.

"I have been working at animal shelters for the past 13 years, but this is the first time that I have seen a dog having 16 babies. I have seen 10 babies before, and 12 maximum," Cucuk said.

Unfortunately, however, six of the babies died immediately after birth, while the rest are healthy now under veterinary care.

"Our main duty starts now. As the mother had a cesarean operation, her milk will come a bit late. As you can see, our friends take care of the babies. They bottle-feed them,” Cucuk said, adding that every half an hour, they check and feed them.

“We keep the puppies around the mother so that they can smell each other. As of tomorrow, the mother will be breastfeeding her babies," he added.

They called the dog "fruitful" as she produced a lot of babies.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar