Doberman gives birth to 13 puppies in Suffolk

A couple in Suffolk have been shocked by a record-breaking litter produced by their pet Doberman, after it gave birth to a total of 13 pedigree puppies.

Mark Holtom and his wife Olga, who live in Offton, were expecting their pet pooch to deliver about six youngsters, but soon realised the litter was set to be more than twice that size.

They were more than happy to get their hands dirty as the brood was born on the kitchen floor of their home in East Anglia.

Halfway through, Mr Holtom was convinced the Doberman had stopped giving birth so headed to the pub, only to return later in the day to find puppies were still arriving.

"I went out because Wednesday night is drinking night with the lads. I came back two hours later and my wife said 'Guess what, there are 13'," he explained.

It is the largest pedigree litter to ever be born in the UK.