They say it takes two to tango. When Elanor ‘Elle’ Rigby arrived at the airport, she was heavily pregnant. The surprise twist came when just before boarding, she went into labor. The father was right beside her. After all, it’s not every day you give birth to eight! Puppies that is. Elle, along with Nugget (the father), are both service dogs. The pair were traveling with Elle’s owners and had been planning to get on a plane at the Tampa International Airport in Florida.
Elle’s owners, Diane Van Atter and her daughter, knew their dog was pregnant, said Emily Nipps, airport spokesperson, but did not realize how far along she was.They were heading to Philadelphia, she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in an airport, or otherwise,” Nipps said.
No planes were delayed during the three-hour event, and Twitter was loving the hashtag “#AirportPuppies.”
There was some speculation that Elle might have gone into labor early because of the anxiousness and excitement of going to the airport. Both pets are service animals, though Elle is still in training. They help Van Atter with pain and mobility issues. Thankfully, employees from Tampa Fire Rescue were on hand to help Elle with her delivery.
They also posted the entire event on X (formerly Twitter). And the cute and loving way the father-to-be acted, alongside the shock of a dog giving birth at an airport, quickly had the post going viral. The video showed a surprisingly calm scene in an otherwise bustling airport. Thousands of viewers commented ‘awws’ and ‘congratulations’ to the new parents.
Elle was made comfortable and Tampa Fire Rescue staff Larry Glanton and Natalie Brown were right there to help with the babies as they came out. Surrounding them was a crowd of onlookers, who broke into applause – and some barks from the new mama and daddy, once the babies were delivered. On X (formally twitter), airport officials shared photos, stating “Ruff day for this mama at Gate F80!”
The family ended up missing their original flight since they were helping keep Elle calm while she delivered her puppies. In the end, Elle gave birth to 7 boys and 1 girl. The family, along with their new large family of 10 dogs, will be driving the 1,000 miles home to Philadelphia. A plane ride seemed less simple this time around. Watch below for a look at Elle’s amazing delivery and the super cute puppies!