(20 Dec 2010) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of snow covered countryside around Ebereschenhof
2. Close up of sign reading: “Ebereschenhof”
3. Pan of Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies in their enclosure
4. Mid of puppies
5. Various of dog owner Ramona Wegemann feeding her puppies
6. SOUNDBITE: (German) Ramona Wegemann, dog owner:
“Most important and difficult for us was to make sure that all the puppies survived. Feeding the puppies with a bottle for the first four weeks was very exhausting for me. When I was finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again. I couldn’t really sleep for the first three weeks. I only slept 15 to 20 minutes without interruption and I was very exhausted.”
7. Close up of two puppies
8. Mid of puppies
9. Close up face of puppy
10. Various of Wegemann with mother dog Etana and the puppies
11. Close up of mother dog Etana
12. SOUNDBITE: (German) Ramona Wegemann, dog owner:
“The birth of the puppies was very special. All the puppies were born naturally, no C-(Caesarian) section was necessary. When dogs give birth to such a large number of puppies, four to five puppies usually die within the first week, but all of our puppies survived. This is incredible and wonderful.”
13. Various of puppies in their enclosure
STORYLINE
A dog owner in Germany on Monday introduced her 17 Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies to the media.
The four-year-old mother Etana gave birth to the puppies in Ebereschenhof, north of Berlin on 28 September.
All 17 of the litter survived.
Their owner, Ramona Wegemann has her work cut out caring for the puppies.
The 32-year-old animal psychiatrist had to feed the puppies five times a day for the first four weeks because their mother didn’t have enough milk.
“When I was finished feeding the last puppy, the first was hungry again,” Wegemann said.
“I couldn’t really sleep for the first three weeks. I only slept 15 to 20 minutes without interruption and I was very exhausted.”
The litter is unusual in that all were born naturally with no need for a Caesarian section and a 100 per cent survival rate.
“When dogs give birth to such a large number of puppies, four to five puppies usually die within the first week, but all of our puppies survived. This is incredible and wonderful,” said Wegemann.
The 17 puppies are Etana’s second litter, having previously nurtured a litter of eight.
The nine dogs and eight bitches have all been given African names as a reflection of their breed.
The Rhodesian Ridgeback, an African hunting dog originating from Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, was developed in South Africa during the 19th century to assist with lion hunting.
keyword animals wacky
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