On an ordinary morning in Bali, Indonesia, dog rescuer Selina Dey spotted a heavily pregnant stray wandering through an abandoned house. Hoping to help, she approached — but the mama dog was too frightened and feral to let anyone near.
Still, Dey refused to give up on her. If she couldn’t safely bring the dog out, she would bring care in.
Every day, Dey returned to the crumbling house with nourishing meals, slowly building trust and giving the expecting mama strength for the birth she knew was coming.
Then one day, Dey noticed the mama’s belly was suddenly much smaller. The puppies had arrived — but none were in sight.
“I couldn’t find the puppies, so I walked through this abandoned house, which was a bit scary at first…” Dey told The Dodo. “Eventually, I could hear the cries for the mama.”
Following the faint whimpers, she found a litter tucked away inside the house. Most of the newborns seemed stable — but one fragile baby immediately caught her eye.
“I could count eight dogs, but one was stuck and had fallen down a little drain, so I pulled her out,” Dey said. “She was so cold.”
Dey fed the puppies and left them with their mom, but she whisked the tiny chilled newborn home, determined to save her. The baby, whom she named Fiorella, nestled onto Dey’s chest, bottle-fed and warmed by her rescuer’s heartbeat.
Fiorella slept peacefully for hours. But by morning, she still wasn’t improving.
“My entire gut just told me something is wrong,” Dey said. “Unfortunately, the vets could not do anything because she was so tiny and fragile.”
Fiorella died in Dey’s arms just 24 hours after being rescued. Heartbroken, Dey made a promise to the little pup she had tried so hard to save:
“I promised Fiorella that I would keep everyone healthy and safe,” Dey said. “So that’s what I did.”
True to her word, Dey returned to the abandoned house twice a day, bringing warm meals and checking on every puppy. When the home became too unsafe for them to stay, she moved the litter into her own home — but made sure to bring them back for visits with their mom.
“I brought them back to the abandoned house, where they would just snuggle with her,” Dey said. “She would feel happy.”
After each comforting reunion with their mama, the puppies returned to Dey’s home to continue growing strong. Soon, the once-tiny newborns blossomed into plump, curious explorers — each carrying a piece of Fiorella’s spirit with them.
You can see the puppies thriving here:
Three of the puppies have already found loving forever homes, and a fourth has been adopted but is still waiting to leave. The remaining three continue to thrive under Dey’s care as they wait for families of their own.
“They are literally radiating sunshine,” Dey said. “They’re safe until a forever family is found, as I promised their sister, Fiorella.”
To inquire about adopting one of the remaining puppies, you can reach out to Selina Dey on Instagram.
