BC woman helps deliver litter of puppies on backed up highway

Courtesy Rachel Brennan

After spending Labour Day weekend camping in Enderby, BC, a woman expected to be home in a few hours. But her pregnant German shepherd had different plans.

When Rachel Brennan started to pack her belongings, her two-year-old dog Reen began to act out of character.

“She just really wanted to be in my tent,” Brennan says. “So I ended up putting her in the backseat of my truck… and she slept the whole morning [as] we loaded up everything and that’s very unlike her.”

Brennan thought the dog may go into labour soon — which was a surprise because Reen was not expected to give birth to her pups until later in the week.

@rachelbrennan0 @ctvnews helping my dog birth 9 puppies in the back seat is just a different experience for sure😅 #birthingstory #coquihalla #coquihallahighway #coquihallahwy #ctvnews #ctv #newschannel ♬ Life is a Highway – Rascal Flatts

While some excitement took over, Brennan adds she was a little worried since her veterinarian warned that if the labour came early, her dog might give birth to stillborn puppies.

But Brennan says, “there was nothing I could do at that point.”

So, Brennan hit the road and started to drive back to her home in Abbotsford.

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Once on the road, all was normal until Brennan happened to look back and noticed her dog contracting.

“As I look back, she stood up and her water had broken. I saw a big puddle of water on the quilt [the dogs] lay on. Then she started pacing back and forth in the back of my truck.”

The dog owner quickly pulled over and hopped in the back with Reen.

Within 10 minutes, the German shepard’s first puppy was born.

Courtesy Rachel Brennan

Brennan says her sister took over driving as she stayed in the back with her dog who is a first-time mom. Brennan’s other dog, the puppies’ dad, was moved into her sister’s husband’s vehicle to leave more room in the back for Reen.

Brennan and her family later stopped at a Kamloops gas station and met with their family and friends to watch the birth of two more puppies.

At this point, Reen started to get tired and Brennan decided to give her a break so she continued her drive home.

However, when she got stuck in major traffic delays on the Coquihalla, that’s when Reen gave birth to six more puppies.

Courtesy Rachel Brennan

Reen was giving birth to puppies about every 20 minutes.

“It was definitely a cool experience… I didn’t know what to expect at all,” Brennan says but adds, “At the same time… I was getting so nauseous honestly.

“The smell back there … and then there was just blood. It’s not a pretty scene.”

Brennan left the campsite around 12:30 pm and arrived home around 10 pm.

Thankfully, Reen and all her nine puppies were healthy and happy, so when they all got home Brennan set up a place for them to all sleep soundly and the BC woman finally called it a night.

@rachelbrennan0 Replying to @Somhairlìn Bhioctoria their colour is already changing so much😍😍 #ctvnews #ctvvancouver #coquihallahwy #coquihallahighway #coquihalladelivery #newborn #newbornpuppies ♬ original sound – Rachel Brennan

But the surprises were not done.

When Brennan woke up Tuesday morning, she found an extra puppy.

“[Reen] done it all herself during the night.”

Courtesy Rachel Brennan