Dalmatian gives birth to 18 puppies a year after delivering 16

Three-year-old Button is the daughter of one of the dogs who appeared in the Disney film sequel, 102 Dalmatians.

She gave birth to the litter by Caesarean section on December 23, to the amazement of her owners Adam and Nicola Morley and their three sons.

Mrs Morley, from Melton Mowbray, said: "It was a big shock. They are all doing well but we're only going to keep one of the puppies. It's a lot of work looking after them all."



The couple said that they and their older son, Michael, 17, were working on a 24-hour rota helping the exhausted mother feed and tend to her giant brood.

British Dalmatian Club chairman Pat Wilson said a litter of 18 was very rare.

Her owners said that after 34 births, the dog's breeding days were now over.