The heartbreaking scene of a mother dog embracing her puppies, choosing to freeze to death to keep them warm, while the seven pups, though cold and hungry, refused to leave her side, has brought many to tears.
Russia is known as one of the coldest places on Earth, with temperatures dropping as low as -55°C or even -66°C in the northern regions. Across the country, temperatures typically range from 0 to -40°C. In such extreme cold, stray animals without shelter often have little chance of survival.
On the morning of December 20th, a snowplow worker came across a group of puppies huddled together for warmth. Their tiny bodies were shivering uncontrollably, and they whimpered softly as they nuzzled their mother. When the man approached to check on the mother dog, he found her body already stiff and frozen.
Mother Dog Froze to Death While Warming Her Puppies—7 Puppies Refused to Leave Her Side
The mother dog had completely frozen in the snow.
When discovered, the mother dog had tragically died lying on her side, as if still nursing her young. The man quickly went to find a cardboard box to carry the puppies, but as he tried to pick them up, they scattered in fear. The smallest pup clung tightly to its mother’s frozen body, curled up in fear and refusing to let go.
The heartbreaking image of the mother dog embracing her pups, choosing to freeze to death to keep them warm—and the sight of the 7 puppies, cold and starving, yet unwilling to leave their mother’s side—deeply moved the snowplow worker. Determined to help, he contacted a local rescue center and returned to the site with their staff. However, a sudden snowstorm forced them to temporarily leave the mother dog’s body behind. Just a short while later, the puppies returned on their own, instinctively seeking their mother again.
The puppies nestled against their mother throughout the snowstorm
Fortunately, the blizzard was not severe, and over the course of two days, rescuers were able to find and gather all seven puppies.
Upon closer examination, rescuers found a red collar around the mother dog’s neck, suggesting she had once had an owner. To this day, it’s still unknown whether she was abandoned or simply lost. The cause of her death was determined to be starvation and exhaustion, followed by freezing in the cold.
While they were too late to save the mother, the rescue team and the kind man were able to bring the seven puppies back to the local animal shelter. After a few days of care and recovery, the pups are now safe, healthy, and preparing to celebrate Christmas with their new friends at the shelter.
Below are some photos of the rescued puppies all dressed up for the holidays by the shelter staff:
