By WECT Staff | September 14, 2020 at 6:10 AM EDT – Updated September 14 at 10:25 AM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – This past year has been challenging to say the least, but one local family is taking a moment to enjoy the little things and welcoming a nearly record-breaking litter of puppies to the world.
Tula the Chocolate lab is the proud new mother to a littler of 13 puppies, according to her owner Alison Alexander. The father of the litter is a black lab and the puppies are a mix of black, chocolate, and yellow labs.
“She gave birth to them on Friday, September 11 (her due date). Around 4:00am, she delivered her first puppy. By 7:30 am, when I was going online with my high-school English students, I reported to them that Tula had a litter of 8 puppies! However, she was not finished. By 4:30 pm, Tula gave birth to her 13th puppy, and all seemingly very healthy!” Alexander said.
The number of puppies is close to the record number in a litter for a lab, which Alexander said she thinks is 15.
According to the American Kennel Club the average number of puppies in a litter for labs is seven.
“We are thankful for this unexpected number of puppies, a mixture of black, chocolate, and yellow. Our four children, Kevin, and myself are doing our best to support Tula. We also have another dog, Dibs, who is the grandmother of the litter. Life is stressful these days, for many, but 13 puppies has to make you stop, give thanks for life, and appreciate these blessings,” she said.
The family says they are not breeders but wanted to experience their own dog having puppies at home.
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