A domesticated mutt is acting as the surrogate mom for nine newborn African painted dog pups at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, a ground-breaking arrangement for the rearing of the wild dogs, whose mother died shortly after they were born.

Honey, a mixed-breed dog from the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society's North Side shelter, is nursing the black and white puppies that were born at the zoo Oct. 25, and zoo officials say all are gaining weight and doing well.

It's the first time such a domestic surrogate has been used to mother and feed new-born painted dogs. The pups' natural mother, 10-year-old Vega, died of a ruptured uterus.

The mortality rate for African painted dog pups, even with a healthy mother, is 50 percent in the first 30 days, in the wild or in captivity.

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