TYLER, Texas (WTHR) — A Texas veterinarian said he experienced a special delivery for the first time last month.
Dr. Roy Wilmeth helped a rescue lab mix give birth to 20 puppies via C-section.
Luna was running on a Texas road when she got picked up by animal control. She started going into labor, but she wasn't progressing well, so Wilmeth had limited options: euthanize Luna or perform a C-section.
"There really wasn't a lot of time to kind of think and process how many were coming out," Wilmeth said. "But it seemed like it would just never end."
When it was all said and done, Luna had 20 puppies, and 18 of them survived.
A shelter volunteer said when Luna came in before the babies, she weighed more than 70 pounds. After all the puppies were out, she was down to about 50 pounds.
A rescue group is stepping in to take care of Luna and the puppies. Volunteers will help bottle feed the pups. After they're weaned, they'll try to find forever homes for the dogs.