Great Dane gives birth to near-record 21 puppies in 27 hours

A Great Dane now has a great big litter: a mother dog is making headlines after giving birth to a whopping 21 puppies in a 27 span.

When Namine, a 2-year-old Great Dane, became pregnant, her owner Tanya Dubbs, Pocahontas, Virginia, expected a large litter. Large dog breeds often produce more offspring than smaller dogs, and according to WVVA the owner expected Namine to have about 13-14 puppies.

But over the course of the day, Namine kept giving birth to more and more puppies.

“We got up to 16 and then she had another one,” Tanya told WVVA. “I was sitting on the bed and she was on the bed with me and I was talking to a friend of mine and I heard a gush of fluid and I looked over and I said we have another puppy.”

After 27 hours, Namine had given birth to 21 puppies, a huge number. According to Guinness World Records, the largest litter of dogs ever numbered at 24.

Sadly, not all of them made it: two of the puppies reportedly died shortly after birth. But “supermom” Namine was still busy doting on the other 19 pups.

The owner plans to sell the puppies to new homes when they are old enough to ween off their mom, and says she will donate the money from the first pup to the Tazewell County Animal Shelter.