Stray Mom Digs Snow Den To Keep Her Puppies Alive

In the middle of a brutal Minnesota winter, as wind whipped across the frozen ground, a stray mother dog was doing everything she could to protect her six newborn puppies.

With no shelter in sight, she did the only thing she could — dig a den deep into a snowdrift and curl her fragile body around her 3-week-old babies to keep them warm.

She had stopped producing milk. Her puppies were cold and hungry. But she never gave up.

Thankfully, a family exploring a wooded area near a lake spotted the little family huddled in the snow. They rushed them to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, where staff were stunned by what the dog had done to save her pups.

They named her Snowbelle.

“We have no idea how Snowbelle and her puppies survived,” the rescue wrote on Facebook.

But as soon as she was safe and warm, something incredible happened — Snowbelle began producing milk again. After just a few days of rest and food, she was able to nourish her babies once more.

All of Snowbelle’s puppies have since grown strong and healthy, and most have already found loving homes. But Snowbelle — now called Asha — is still waiting.

Now living at Pet Projects Rescue in Nerstrand, Minnesota, Asha is finally getting the care she always gave so freely to her puppies. When she arrived, she was severely underweight, unsure of people, and had likely never known a warm bed or a kind touch.

“She was very thin and in tough shape,” said Nancy Bruley, founder of Pet Projects. “Timid, but never aggressive. She just lowered her head anytime someone came near. You could tell she wanted to trust — she just didn’t know how yet.”

In six short weeks, Asha has made a remarkable transformation. She’s gained weight, learned to walk on a leash, and even started to seek affection.