When her German shepherd, Roxy, also a first-time mom, went into labor Monday, the Schuylkill Haven woman thought she was ready to greet the new litter. The delivery, however, came with a few little surprises — 12 to be exact — over an 11-hour period.
Mary Heffelfinger is a registered nurse from Pennsylvania with a background in maternity care, home care and hospice work. Her résumé could not be more impressive, but not even she was prepared for the task at hand just a few months after bringing home a new dog.
Mary brought home a five-month-old German shepherd puppy named Roxy, hoping she’d make a good companion for her 8-year-old German shepherd, Rebel.
After the loss of Mary’s 13-year-old husky/lab, Nela, the grieving dog owner thought Roxy could help fill the hole in Rebel’s heart.
Not only did the dogs get along, but Roxy and Rebel quickly formed a love connection and got pregnant.
Roxy was the first female dog Mary had ever owned who was not yet spayed. And Rebel had never fathered any puppies before.
Mary, who is not a breeder, had never owned a pregnant dog and had to learn the ropes as the weeks passed. The average litter size among German shepherds is eight.
When Roxy went into labor at home, Mary thought she had done all the prepping she could possibly do, both mentally and physically.
But over the course of Roxy’s 11-hour birth, Mary was met with an unexpected surprise.
Footage provided by WNEP Scranton
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/german-shepherd-dozen-puppies/