Those who've had the chance to watch Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians may think that it's a tale of fantasy, but that wasn't the case for a Dalmatian named Miley. When it was time for Miley to give birth to her litter, she was in for quite a surprise. Find out what happened to Miley and her puppies and why her birth story resembles One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Meet Cecilia, The Trainer
Some people want to devote their lives to dogs and that is exactly what 43-year-old Cecilia Langton-Bunker did.
The Australian native had a special affinity for Dalmatians and even created a whole business surrounding them. With CCDalmatians, Cecilia was able to breed, train, and show Dalmatians for a little under 25 years.
Keeping It Ethical
There can be a lot of mistreatment with dogs when it comes to breeding, but Cecilia made sure to do everything in her power to keep it ethical.
While earning money from the puppies was a plus, her main focus was to make sure she was partnering with other prize-winning Dalmatians who had a healthy genetic makeup.
Cecilia Meets Miley
Sometimes, people get an unexplainable bond with a dog. For Cecilia, that was Miley the Dalmatian.
Miley wasn't anything like the other dogs Cecilia had been working with for the past couple of decades. There was something special between them, so Cecilia decided to focus most of her attention on Miley and her needs.
Some Background On Dalmatians
Dalmatians are a medium-sized dog breed that is mostly known for their black or brown-spotted coats. They started out as hunting dogs and can be traced to the Dalmatia region in Croatia.
These dogs typically live to be between 12 to 14-years-old and have an intelligent, friendly, and protective personalities.
Taking Care Of Miley
Cecilia met Miley when she was just a puppy and it didn't take long for Cecilia to realize she needed to spend extra time with this dog.
Not only was Miley extremely well-behaved for a dog, but she also had quite an extraordinary coat. Cecilia knew she wanted to keep her for breeding.
Miley The Champion
It didn't take long for Miley to start winning dog competitions around Australia. She went by the stage name "Sarasota From Russia With Love."
There wasn't a competition where Miley didn't receive a medal. For the few competitions Miley didn't place first, she would at least place in the top three.
Prep For Breeding
After a successful stint in dog show competitions, Miley was officially ready to start the breeding process. Cecilia was able to find a high-end stud Dalmatian as well.
Within just a short while, Miley became pregnant. Everything seemed to be working out for both Miley and Cecilia, but the vets had more news for them.
An Eventful Trip To The Vet
As soon as Cecilia had a hunch that Miley was pregnant, she rushed her to the hospital to get everything checked out.
Cecilia sat there anxious because she wanted to be sure that both Miley and her puppies were doing well. The vet confirmed that Miley was indeed pregnant, but needed to look at something else.
It Wasn't A Normal Pregnancy
Cecilia was no stranger to dog pregnancies because it was part of what she did for a living. However, she did get a strong feeling that this wouldn't be like the others.
Typically, Dalmatians give birth to litters of about six or seven puppies. Anything larger than that can be incredibly dangerous.
Miley Started Acting Abnormal
When Cecilia noticed Miley not acting like herself, she brought her back to the vet to get it sorted out.
At first, the vet thought Cecilia was being too over-protective, but they did another scan of her belly. After looking at the x-ray, the vet couldn't even keep track of how many puppies were inside Miley.
Many More Puppies Than Anticipated
When the vet told Cecilia about Miley's pregnancy, she looked at the scan as well. They both had no idea how many puppies Miley was carrying.
Then, Cecilia took her home and prepared her for labor. Early the next morning, Miley was ready to give birth. This wouldn't be a normal delivery process.
Miley Gives Birth
Cecilia quickly called her midwife to help her deliver Miley's puppies. After the first five, they noticed there was a lull in the birthing process.
Miley's heart was beating very quickly, so Cecilia rushed her to an emergency vet to get the rest of the puppies out. It would be up to the professionals.
An Emergency C-Section
After taking Miley to the vet, they realized that the birthing process was stalled because the sixth puppy wasn't positioned correctly. They would have to perform an emergency C-section.
While Cecilia was extremely nervous for Miley and the puppies' well-being, she knew this would be the right decision. It was time to get the rest of the puppies out.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians In Real Life
Miley's birth was very similar to the story of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The vets kept pulling out puppy after puppy. Nurses, receptionists, and anyone who was on standby rushed into the delivery room to get the puppies out.
Even after the vets were sure there weren't any more, there actually were more.
All The Puppies Made It Out
It took Miley 13 hours of labor to get all of her puppies out safely. They were all marked with skin-safe dyes, in order to tell them apart.
The delivery turned out to be a lot safer than the vets expected. Cecilia was in a state of shock after looking at all of Miley's puppies.
How Many Puppies Did Miley Have?
After a miraculous delivery, Miley gave birth to a total of 16 puppies - 12 females and 4 males. The puppies were a bright white color because they wouldn't develop their spots until they got a bit older.
Miley even beat the record of the mother in One Hundred and One Dalmatians who had 15 puppies.
Raising 16 Puppies
Cecilia and her partner took on the difficult task of raising Miley's 16 puppies for the next couple of months.
They had to make sure all their beds were clean, monitor their physical and mental development, and more. Miley made sure to give the puppies lots of love and attention.
Feeding Time
One of Cecilia's favorite memories with the puppies was feeding time. She would make a mix of dog nuts and chicken pieces and sprinkle them with cheese.
Then, she would line up two trays on the floor and let the puppies go at it in the kitchen. Soon, it would be time to let the puppies go.
Goodbye Puppies
After the two months were up, Cecilia received dozens of offers for potential owners. Even though she was a bit sad to let them go, she knew they were going to great homes.
However, she decided to keep one of the female puppies named Paris. She was outgoing, smart, and spirited. Paris followed in her mother's footsteps and won many dog show competitions.
Keeping In Touch
Not only would the puppies' father, Astro, come to visit, but the puppies were able to have a reunion party with their new owners after a couple of years.
Cecilia even invited all the vets who helped with the birth as well. The party was the icing on the cake for Cecilia, who couldn't have been more thrilled that all of Miley's puppies could run around and play together once again.
