A 3-year-old Rottweiler owned by a man surnamed Wei from Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, whelped 17 pups on Saturday.

This was no mean feat, as "It took the mother a total 27 hours to give birth to them all," Wei said, "but mother and pups are now doing well."

"It's really unusual for a pet Rottweiler dog to whelp such a large litter," Xu, an expert from the local chamber of commerce of the pet industry, said. He advised the owner to make sure the pups have ample nourishment in order to grow healthily in the days ahead.

(China Daily/Chinese Business Morning View)