Driving through the snow in Ontario, Canada, a kindly citizen spotted something strange by the side of the road that made her pull over. A shivering stray dog was curled protectively around a small, furry black mass.
Upon closer inspection, the driver realized that the sweet stray had wrapped herself around five orphaned black kittens; she had surrounded them with her body to protect them from the biting cold.
The driver immediately called for help. Animal Control arrived on the scene and took the freezing pup and her five tiny charges to the Chatham-Kent Pet and Wildlife Rescue (PAWR) municipal shelter. By then, though, the dog and five tiny kittens were already inseparable.
The kittens required treatment for flea and worm infestations, during which time the sweet stray dog paid the five tiny creatures regular visits to check on them. Staff named the dog “Serenity” in honor of her calm, nurturing demeanor and even made her a cake to commemorate her incredible act of kindness.
It was unclear to PAWR whether the dog and kittens had known one another prior to the night that they were discovered huddled by the side of the road. The shelter initially hoped that an owner would come forward, but nobody showed up for either Serenity or the kittens.
After treatment, the kittens were transferred to a safe, loving foster home. Serenity was spayed on Dec. 3, after which PAWR staff turned their attention to finding the lovely dog her new forever home by posting a heartwarming “advert” on social media.
The shelter then addressed their decision not to home Serenity and the kittens together.
“The shelter staff is concerned about getting backlash for not adopting me out with the kittens that I was found with,” PAWR explained, “but the kittens are not old enough to be on their own yet. If they waited for the kittens to be ready, that would mean that I wouldn’t have my forever family for a couple of months.”
The post explained that the shelter’s goal is always to get animals in need to their forever homes without delay. “At the end of the day,” the post continued, “I am just happy that the kittens were found with me and are now resting peacefully in a warm foster home instead of outside in the cold.”
Thanks to Serenity, a potentially tragic ending for five innocent kittens was transformed into a safe and happy future. Serenity saved five kittens’ lives by using her own body to keep them warm and in turn warmed hearts around the world after her story went viral.