South Yorkshire Times December 14, 1968

Ten Pups for Sandy

Ten pups is a happy canine event by any standards and has earned Sandy, a two years-old labrador, the praise of her neighbourhood.

Sandy, who belongs to Mr. and Mrs. John Brown, of 4, Morton Road, Mexborough, produced the pups in her first litter five weeks ago and her inexperience may explain why she almost killed one.

All ten offsprings were born between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Sandy, performing the feat unaided by human hands, nearly sat on one of the newly born pups.

“As it was her first litter she did not realise that there was another one there, it had been born so quickly,” said Mrs. Beatrice Brown. “My husband pointed it out to her and she licked it until it started breathing. It was marvellous to see them born.

“Her bed was in the hall before the birth but she kept clawing at the bottom of the stairs to make another bed so we let her have the pups where she wanted.”

But despite affectionate protests from Mrs. Brown’s three children, Ann (18), Janet (13), and John (6), the pups are being advertised for sale. Eleven canine residents in the same house would produce too large a problem.