When a young Rottweiler named Jessie was set to become a mom, no one expected the sheer number of pawed bundles of joy she was about to deliver.
Let’s delve into this remarkable story of an unexpectedly large litter and the surprised couple who witnessed it all.
Expectations vs. Reality
Imagine believing you’re about to welcome maybe five or six puppies into your home.
That seems manageable, right? Eleanor Usher and her husband, Ian, owners of Jessie, thought so too.
To their amazement, one night, the two-year-old Rottweiler made them rethink those expectations dramatically.
“The babies just kept coming in the middle of the night, and we couldn’t believe our eyes,” they recalled. It was like witnessing a minor miracle unfold right in front of them.
A Night to Remember
On a peaceful October night in 2017, two days before the puppies’ expected due date, a surprise awaited the Ushers.
Eleanor recalls the moment she realized something was up: “At around 1.50 am, I heard this scratching noise from the bottom of the stairs.”
Lo and behold, by the time they reached Jessie, she had already delivered two puppies, with more on the way.
Eleanor and Ian could only watch, astonished, as their furry family member continued to outdo their wildest expectations.
Eleanor mentioned, “We hadn’t had an ultrasound, because it’s so expensive, and I’d been told to expect something between three and five.” Hopes of it being a normal delivery slowly faded.
“After the sixth puppy, I kept telling Jessie: ‘That’s a good girl, you can stop now, you don’t have to do anymore’.” Little did she know, Jessie had other plans.
An Almost Record-Breaking Delivery
The Ushers were left in sheer awe, as puppy after puppy continued to arrive. The delivery seemed endless.
Eleanor candidly expressed, “We just thought: ‘Oh my god, when is she going to stop?’.”
With the count climbing into double digits, the couple couldn’t help but think about records. In the UK, the most significant number of puppies delivered by a Rottweiler was 18, set back in 2009.
As Jessie neared this number, Eleanor and Ian wondered if they were on the verge of making history.
But by 8:00 a.m., the epic night drew to a close. Their household was now enriched with 15 adorable puppies!
And Jessie? She was a superstar throughout.
Eleanor gushed, “It was all her. We didn’t ever have to assist her… such a strong momma.”
The couple now had their hands full, quite literally! “Ian and I have a rota drawn up to feed the pups throughout the day and night. It’s exhausting, but seeing them makes it all worthwhile,” Eleanor shared.
Surprise: This Isn’t the Record!
As mind-blowing as Jessie’s 15 puppies might sound, it’s not the world record.
That honor goes to Tia, a Neapolitan Mastiff, who gave birth to an astounding 24 puppies in 2004 – a mix of 9 females and 15 males. Just imagine the magnitude of that surprise!
While Jessie may not have broken the world record, she certainly shattered the Ushers’ expectations and gave them a tale they would cherish for a lifetime.
Their home, once quiet, was now brimming with the playful yips and yaps of 15 Rottweiler pups, a testament to the unpredictability and beauty of life.