A two-legged stray dog has given birth to a litter of puppies in China – and all of their legs are in full working order.
The stray, which was named Si Bao by an owner who later abandoned her, gave birth to four healthy puppies near Kouguan railway station in Datong, Shanxi Province in the north of the country.
Shi Bao was made one of the city’s many strays after her owner moved out of the neighbourhood and decided not to take her with him, but became well known locally when she lost her two rear legs after being hit by a speeding train two years ago.
Balancing on just her forelegs, Shi Bao nuzzles her puppies lovingly as she takes them for a walk in the area around the train station.
China has an estimated 130 million stray dogs – many them victims of a growing urbanisation that has seen millions of people move into high-rise buildings with little room for pets.
It’s a tough life on the street for many of the dogs. As well as state-sponsored extermination campaigns in many cities, there is also widespread abuse of strays by members of the public, and the risk of being captured for dog meat or succumbing to hunger and disease.
Cute: Balancing on just her forelegs, Shi Bao nuzzles her puppies lovingly as she takes them for a walk in the area around Datong train station
Loving mother: The stray, which was named Si Bao by an owner who later abandoned her, gave birth to four healthy puppies near Kouguan railway in Shanxi Province
Tough: Shi Bao was made one of the city’s many strays after her owner moved out of the neighbourhood and decided not to take her with him. She became well known locally when she lost her two rear legs after being hit by a speeding train two years ago
New world: China has an estimated 130 million stray dogs – many them victims of a growing urbanisation that has seen millions of people move into high-rise buildings with little room for pets
Resilient: It’s a tough life on the street for many of China’s stray dogs. As well as extermination campaigns in many cities, there is also the risk of abuse by the public
