The distressed mother dog, drenched in blood, yet still doing her utmost to protect and guide her cubs out of the cave

This mama dog was doing her best to care for her puppies in her sole home, a trash-filled pit next to a business in Udaipur, India.

When the shopkeepers next door noticed she had wounded herself on broken glass and was bleeding from her back leg, they called Animal Aid Unlimited for assistance. Despite her obvious discomfort, the mama dog began to wag her tail as soon as she saw the animal ambulance arrive.

She even pushed herself up to greet them. Perhaps the mama dog sensed that these folks were there to aid since she showed no fear – only appreciation.

Animal Aid transported her back to its shelter, where her wounded back paw was treated and she and her puppies were cared for. Curling up on a comfortable bed must have felt great after sleeping on broken glass and empty cans.

While the mama and her puppies were being cared for by Animal Aid, some of the employees went back to her little den next to the shop and gave it a makeover. They cleaned up the rubbish, laid down a floor, and covered it with mats to make it more comfortable.

Then it was time to take mama dog back to her home next to the store. “In India, there are millions of animals on the street without owners and virtually no one who will adopt them,” Animal Aid noted on its Facebook page.

So Animal Aid took her back to where she had been staying, together with her nursing puppies (and some large sacks of food).

There are so many dogs like this one who will never have permanent homes, but thankfully, there are people fighting to give them the best lives possible.

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

You can watch the entire video here: