In Udaipur, India, a devoted mother dog struggled to provide for her puppies in a heart-wrenching setting—their only home, a trash-strewn hole beside a local store. Despite the dire circumstances, her unwavering commitment to her little ones shines as a poignant testament to maternal love

When the owners of the neighboring store noticed that she had been cut by broken glass and was bleeding from her back leg, they called Animal Aid Unlimited rescuers to help her. Despite the pain she must have been in, the mother dog began wagging her tail as soon as she saw the animal ambulance arrive.

He even stood up and greeted them. Maybe the mother dog could sense that these people were there to help, because she showed no fear, just pure gratitude.

Animal Aid took her back to their shelter, where her injured paw was treated and she and her puppies received the care they needed. After sleeping on broken glass and empty cans, curling up in a soft bed must have been great.

While the mother and her puppies recovered in the care of Animal Aid, some of the staff returned to their small shelter next to the store and renovated it. They cleaned up the piles of garbage, laid a floor, and covered it with rugs to make it comfortable.

Then it was time to return the mother dog to her home next to the store. “In India there are millions of ownerless animals on the streets and practically no one to adopt them,” Animal Aid explained on its Facebook page.

So Animal Aid took her back to where she had been living, along with her nursing puppies (and a few large bags of kibble).

There are so many dogs, like this one, that will never have real homes, but fortunately there are people working to give them the best life possible.

“We got the store owners fully involved in this effort and they promised to make sure she has fresh bedding and to feed her and her growing little angels, and of course, to alert us immediately if she or her children need our help again,” Animal Aid posted on Facebook.