Labrador gives birth to single puppy, owner makes important choice
Hearts have been melted by a Labrador who gave birth to just one puppy and got to keep her, giving her a “best friend for life.”
Dog owner Rhea Rai, 25, was overjoyed when she discovered that her Labrador named Honey was pregnant in 2025. After giving it some thought, she loved the idea of keeping just one of the puppies and letting Honey stay with her baby.
There was just one problem with that, however. When Honey had her first pregnancy scan, vets revealed that she was only pregnant with one puppy. Following that discovery, Rai, from the U.K, told Newsweek that she “decided it was only right” to keep the singleton puppy when she was born.
Honey, 3, gave birth to Una at her home, surrounded by her owners. Una was born breach, meaning Rai and her husband had to step in and assist Honey by holding onto Una’s rear paws (to stop her from going back into the birth canal).
Honey and her puppy Una pictured together.
“It was a surreal experience seeing her being born and hearing that first cry,” Rai said. “Honey took over straight away, cleaning her puppy, eating her placenta and then straight to nursing. Considering it was her first time, she took to being a mother so naturally.”
It’s been so special for Rai to watch Honey become such a caring and affectionate mom. Honey used to be playful and energetic, but since having Una, she is now far more patient and protective. It’s been fascinating to observe her teaching Una boundaries, how to explore and of course, how to play.
Rai’s oldest dog, Jack, 6, is still getting used to being a dad, but Rai jests that he’s “very much the boss” of the house. Keeping the family together was the best decision Rai could have made, and now they get to play and cuddle at all times and make endless memories.
“Their bond is really special. All three dogs have their own little family, and you see glimpses of relief in their eyes that they have their baby with them. They play fight (mostly Una pouncing), cuddle in the same bed, and groom each other. You can tell they just get each other on a deep level,” Rai continued.
While four months have passed since Una was born, it still melts Rai’s heart every time she sees the canine family together. She told Newsweek that she feels an “overwhelming sense of joy and pride” as she witnesses the trio bond. Of course, it can be a handful at times, but seeing the mother-daughter bond between Honey and Una makes “all the puppy chaos worth it.”
Rai shared a video on her dogs’ dedicated TikTok account (@puppyandpawrent) showcasing their unbreakable love. Footage shows Honey immediately after giving birth to her singleton puppy, as well as showing how she nurtured Una in the weeks and months that followed. The TikTok caption layered over the clip says she’s “birthed her own best friend for life.”
Honey pictured with her puppy, Una.
The heartwarming video has delighted the internet, going viral with over 3.3 million views and more than 413,300 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
The online response has been incredibly supportive, as Rai found it so uplifting to see how many people across the internet resonated with the video. This has led to more than 1,600 comments on the TikTok post in just a matter of days.
One comment reads: “How lucky for that baby too. She got to stay with and be raised by her actual mom.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “one of the most adorable things you can see them do is the synchronized tail wags.”
While another person replied: “I love this. They were meant to stay together.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [email protected] and they could appear on our site.
Related Articles
- Scientists Warn of 17 Signs of Pain in Dogs, and They’re Not All Obvious
- Woman Tries to Take ‘Wholesome’ Dog Daycare Video—Then Sees What She Filmed
- ‘Scared’ Puppy Left Heartbroken After Third Return To Shelter in 11 Months
