When a stray dog was picked up in Ontario, Canada, it was quickly discovered that she had taken in 5 small, orphaned kittens. Fighting to keep them warm while out in the snow, this dog had taken on the role of mom and was snuggling them.
With the temperatures at freezing, this dog’s actions were definitely life-saving for the kittens. Luckily, the small family was spotted by the side of the road by a passing motorist who thankfully stopped to help.
At first, this kind driver had pulled over because they’d seen the dog and wanted to help, but they soon realized that she was selflessly protecting the tiny felines. The driver rushed all six of them to the Pet and Wildlife Rescue in order to get checked.
A spokesperson for the shelter said to The Dodo, “It’s truly heartwarming! It had been a very cold night so these kittens would have had a very hard time surviving.”
Pet and Wildlife Rescue is a charity organization located in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada. It has two shelters in operation – one in Chatham and the other in Wallaceburg. Their mission is simple: care for abandoned, stray, and surrendered animals while also educating the general public on pet health and safety.
The little kittens were riddled with fleas and worms, for which they are undergoing treatment. But other than that they appear to be a healthy bunch and they’re now thankfully safe. They also get to see their rescue dog who visits with them often.
It’s not known whether original owners of either of these animals dumped them on purpose, lost them, or if they’ve always been on their own.
We’ll never know if these six animals were discarded together, or if the stray dog happened upon the kittens and took them in as her own – either way it’s such beautiful story from a group of resilient little animals.
At the rescue, all strays that are found are put “on hold” for three days – meaning that there can’t be any adoptions during that period in case the original owners come and claim them. If the pets go unclaimed after those three days then the animals are vetted and placed for adoption. This was explained by Myriam Armstrong, who commented on the organization’s original post on Facebook.
