A litter of 16 purebred black Lab puppies were born on Sunday on an Errington farm.

Alex Fras, owner of the puppiesB次元官网网址� parents, said birthing continued all night long.

B次元官网网址淚t started at 10 p.m. and ended at like 4:45 a.m.,B次元官网网址� he said.

Fras thought there were only going to be about four puppies, but they continued to come, each about 20 minutes apart.

Fras said he and his wife Kelly got the now three-year-old mother, Sophie, when she was a puppy B次元官网网址� for their infant daughter Lily.

B次元官网网址淚 used to have a black lab cross that I had for 15 years. Everybody that knew me knew I was all about my dogs everyday,B次元官网网址� Fras said. B次元官网网址淲hen we had the child, sheB次元官网网址檚 almost five now, when she was one weB次元官网网址檙e like letB次元官网网址檚 get a family dog again, so we found Sophie.B次元官网网址�

The family, who live on a large farm in Errington, said they eventually decided to get another dog as a companion for Sophie. They decided on Louie, a male purebred black lab who is now a year-and-a-half old.

Neither Sophie or Louie were fixed, and the Frases, who arenB次元官网网址檛 breeders, decided to see what happened between the two and whether Sophie would get pregnant or not.

When she eventually did get pregnant, they took Sophie to the veterinarian who said she was most likely going to have a large litter, but they didnB次元官网网址檛 think it would be as many as 16.

Fras said he now plans to have both Sophie and Louie fixed.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 really want to do this again,B次元官网网址� he said.

Since the birth, Sophie has been in good spirits, is healthy and still even gets out to play fetch when she isnB次元官网网址檛 feeding or cleaning her 16 newborns.

Of the 16, Fras said itB次元官网网址檚 pretty much 50/50 with half being male and half female. He says heB次元官网网址檚 already getting a lot of interest from potential new owners and that he wants to make sure the dogs go to good homes.

Many animals have been born on the family farm including cows, sheep, alpacas and even their daughter. He said Lily has had a helping hand in many of the animalB次元官网网址檚 births and that itB次元官网网址檚 all about a learning experience for her.

B次元官网网址淭hese dogs (Sophie and Louie) have grown up with the cows, the alpacas, they run with them,B次元官网网址� Fras said. B次元官网网址淲e have 10 acres, they run like crazy.B次元官网网址�

Nanaimo Kennel Club president Sharon Medforth said she has been breeding for 40 years and has heard of a few dog litters this size but that itB次元官网网址檚 very uncommon.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest number of puppies born in one litter was 24 in the United Kingdom in 2004 to a Neopolitan mastiff.