A dog has matched a UK record after giving birth to a huge litter of Doberman puppies.
Dawn Smith, 64, was expecting her three-year-old pet Cathy to have six to eight puppies – the usual amount for a Doberman mum.
Even a scan at six weeks pregnant only showed six pups, but Dawn said the vet explained later that they can hide up in the rib cage.
Cathy started giving birth at 7am on April 27, 2026, after a normal pregnancy and by 10:30am was the proud mum of 14 puppies – including nine girls and five boys.
An ex-rescue dog named Keela set the UK record for the number of Doberman puppies in a single litter of 14 in December 2014.
Dawn, a retired lawyer from Derby, said: ‘I was absolutely ecstatic when she had all these babies.
‘I’m still overjoyed. I can’t believe she’s equalled the UK record. She’s an absolutely amazing mum – she’s so attentive.
‘She was quite big and uncomfortable by the end of the pregnancy, but it was a bit of a shock. They just kept on coming.
‘She was incredible, she did it all herself really.
Cathy the doberman has equalled the UK record for the highest number of Doberman puppies in one litter
Dawn, Cathy’s owner, has kept one of the pups, Lili, and has sold the others for £2,500 each
Dawn bought Cathy, who shares Dawn’s home with two Rottweilers, from a breeder for £2,500
‘I barely had time to get one rubbed down before the next one was out, I couldn’t believe it.’
Dawn bought Cathy, who shares Dawn’s home with two Rottweilers, from a breeder for £2,500.
She paid £1,500 to put Cathy with a stud dog, Alan, five, on February 27.
Dawn was delighted when a scan three weeks later showed that Cathy was pregnant.
She set up a birthing room in her sitting room, complete with a baby monitor, heat pads and a heat lamp for the newborns.
Sadly, one pup, a boy, did not survive beyond his first day, passing away on April 28 because he was so weak.
‘I cried and cried,’ Dawn said.
Cathy was able to feed all 13 pups at the same time by lying in a certain position on her side to fit them all on her teats.
Dawn has kept one of the pups, Lili, and has sold the others for £2,500 each.
She said she’s not made a huge profit because of the extra costs, including £1,000 on extra food, £1,000 on Kennel Club tests, and vet costs of £250.
