A puppy has been nursed back to health after a dog rescued from a farm in Carmarthenshire gave birth to a litter of seven.
Unfortunately, one of Shih Tzu Leia's pups did not survive.
When Leia first arrived at Hope Rescue only a few weeks ago, her coat was so matted she could barely see and she had been marked in yellow by the puppy farmer as if livestock, which is still visible.
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She had been living in cramped and dirty conditions at the back of the raided property.
The five-year-old dog gave birth last week and although mum and the rest of the puppies are doing well now, it was not an easy birth.
Leia struggled due to her time in the puppy farm and two of the smaller puppies were born weak and had to be rushed to the vets, where one sadly passed away.
Sharing the news on their Facebook page, Hope Rescue said: “She was found (on the farm) towards the back of the property living with several other dogs.
"The conditions were very cramped and dirty. Leia’s coat was matted to the point she could barely see. You can still see the mark the puppy farmer put on her too as if she was livestock.
"Leia was heavily pregnant and last week gave birth to 7 puppies. She struggled to give birth due to being so overweight. During delivery she was unable to keep the bedding area clean and dry for the puppies so the staff had to intervene to stop the puppies becoming cold.
"Two of the smaller pups were very weak and were rushed to the vets. Both were placed in oxygen tanks with round the clock care but sadly only one of the two survived. He has now been reintroduced back to the rest of the family with supplementary feeds from the staff.
"If Leia hadn't been rescued she would have given birth in unimaginable conditions and it's highly unlikely many of the pups would have survived.
“It's very telling that many of those Mums that came in with their litters only had a couple of puppies each - we dread to think how many could have simply died.
“With over 200 dogs on site it is impossible to care for this many dogs and their offspring, and this is why we want to see a maximum cap on the number of dogs in breeding establishments.
“Controlling numbers through staff:dog ratios is open to abuse and a cap is the only way to ensure each individual dog gets the care and attention they need.”
Leia and her puppies will stay in the care of Hope Rescue so they can get the veterinary help they need before being adopted.
Hope Rescue has an online wish list with items to go towards the care of Leia, her puppies and other dogs rescued from terrible conditions. You can find it here .
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