Abandoned Dog Gives Birth to 6 Puppies in Remote Cave; When Rescuers Find Her She Does The Sweetest Thing

Gabrielle LaFrank |

Jan 15, 2024

The animal rescuers who work and volunteer at Gouves Animal Shelter have saved animals from a number of deplorable conditions, but even these experienced heroes were heartbroken about the discovery of a mother dog left to fend for herself in a cave. She was found in the “desolate countryside” near Goúrnes on the island of Crete, but she and her puppies are now getting a second chance at life thanks to the kindness of strangers. (scroll down to see video of the heartwarming rescue)

Abandoned Dog Gives Birth to 6 Puppies in Remote Cave

A group of good samaritans happened upon the resilient mom-to-be just hours before she gave birth. They gave her food, water, towels, and a cardboard box as a makeshift shelter, and she welcomed 6 tiny puppies earthside with no major issues. Still, the Greek animal shelter knew they couldn’t leave the new mom and day-old puppies to weather the elements alone.

On January 8, a team of rescuers embarked on a trip to search for the little family. The dogs were found in the very same spot where the puppies had been born, and everyone was doing just fine. This may not have been the case if the rescue happened any later than it did, but the shelter staff knew they would need to act quickly to ensure the safety of the pups.

She Did The Sweetest Thing When She Saw Her Rescuers

Mama Dog must’ve known this, too, because she seemed so relieved to see her rescuers. If you look closely at the rescue video below, you can even catch a glimpse of a tail wag!

The new family was immediately transported to a foster home, where everyone could decompress and thrive. This mother dog and her babies won’t know anything but warmth and love from here on out, and that’s exactly what every dog deserves.

In the midst of this happy news, Gouves Animal Shelter is urging Greek locals to consider opening their homes to foster animals so that more pets like these can be rescued. Even though the shelter, which runs its operations from a former American military base, cares for over 200 cats and around 70 dogs, their foster connections are all completely occupied.

This is a valuable lesson to bring to your own neighborhood, too; you never know just how many animals are waiting for rescue purely because there’s no room. If even a few more people step up in each neighborhood, millions more pets could get second chances at life–just like this brave mama dog and her 6 precious pups.