PITTSBURGH (AP) — A mutt from a city animal shelter is acting as a surrogate mother for nine African painted dogs born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium.
Dr. Stephanie James, the zoo's director of veterinary service, says only one other litter of the wild dogs has been born in captivity, and that happened in the United Kingdom. The Pittsburgh effort was complicated because the mother died of a ruptured uterus shortly after delivering the litter last month.
Zoo officials found a mixed-breed mutt who recently delivered a litter of pups. That dog, Honey, has been nursing the wild dogs.
The mortality rate for painted pups is 50 percent, even when born in the wild to a healthy mother.
Zoo officials hope to wean the pups in about two weeks.
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