A service dog went into labor and delivered eight puppies in the middle of a terminal at Tampa International Airport on Friday.
City of Tampa Fire Rescue was on the scene to provide support to the new mother and documented the delivery.
Ellie the service dog was accompanying a passenger en route to Philadelphia when her litter decided it was time to make its entrance into the world.
Tampa Fire Rescue shared the sweet moments over social media.
A service dog named Ellie, which is short for Eleanor Rigby, went into labor and delivered eight puppies in the middle of a terminal at Tampa International Airport on Friday
‘An air traveler’s service dog is delivering puppies now,’ the department wrote in a post shared on Twitter. ‘We’re a full-service department!’
Photos shared with multiple posts caught a smiling crowd gathered nearby, cheering Ellie the yellow lab on.
Ellie’s owner was right by her side as the two-year-old Labrador retriever gave birth unexpectedly to a litter of eight, include seven male puppies and one female puppy.
Ellie’s owner was right by her side as the two-year-old Labrador retriever gave birth unexpectedly to a litter of eight, include seven male puppies and one female puppy
Plastic and cotton mats were placed on the ground, to give Ellie a sterile surface and protect the carpeting in the terminal
Dressed in denim capri pants and a Hawaiian-print shirt, the owner snuggled right up to Ellie to comfort her through the process.
Down on the ground right next to seating at one of the gates, the miracle of life unfolded before everyone’s eyes.
It was quite a scene to take in, too.
Plastic and cotton mats were placed on the ground, to give Ellie a sterile surface and protect the carpeting in the terminal.
Down on the ground right next to seating at one of the gates, the miracle of life unfolded
Photos shared with multiple posts caught a smiling crowd gathered nearby, cheering Ellie on
(From left to right) The owner of the service dog, Paramedic Larry Glanton, an unidentified woman and Lt Natalie Brown smile for the camera after Ellie delivered all eight of the pups
The paramedics, Ellie’s owner, other air travelers and airport personnel watched and waiting for each of the puppies to join the rest of the brood, over the span of about an hour.
Finally, they all made their way into the world, one by one, and got cleaned up on a black and green blanket, before they could snuggle up to their mom.
The father to the little ones, named Nugget, was also traveling with the crew and was there for the birth.
Lt Natalie Brown of Tampa Fire Rescue carefully handles a puppy in the airport on Friday
Ellie’s owner kissed her on the snout while she delivered her puppies in the terminal
After it was all said and done, the department gave credit where credit was due, tweeting:
‘Tampa paramedics do it all! Paramedics Larry Glanton and Lt Natalie Brown teamed up to deliver the eight puppies.’
And now, in addition to their human, both Ellie and Nugget have their own little canine family to take care of.
Ellie is short for the service dog’s full name, which is Eleanor Rigby.
Paramedics, Ellie’s owner, other travelers and airport personnel gather around the dogs
The father to the little ones, named Nugget, was also traveling with the crew and was there for the birth; Nugget is pictured here