When Simone Belser, cofounder of Protect Animals Worldwide, received a call about a dog abandoned in a dumpster, she didn’t hesitate. She went straight to the location, lifted the heavy lid — and was met with a sight she’ll never forget.
Inside the freezing dumpster was a gentle mama pit bull curled around her newborn puppies.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking that someone could throw this family away like garbage,” Belser said in a video for The Dodo.
The puppies were impossibly small, their eyes still sealed shut. Belser knew there was no time to waste.
“We knew if we didn’t get them out immediately, the babies wouldn’t survive the night,” she said.
Belser rushed the mother and her litter to Protect Animals Worldwide’s emergency hospital. The puppies were dangerously cold and barely responsive, and the rescue team feared they might lose them.
“We had to revive them and stabilize them right away,” Belser explained.
Through it all, the devoted mama — later named Regina — never stopped caring for her pups. Despite everything she’d been through, Regina focused entirely on keeping her babies close and safe. Her constant attention and love played a huge role in their recovery.
“She gave them everything she had,” Belser said. “None of this was her fault.”
Based on the strong smell of trash on Regina and her puppies, rescuers believe the family had been trapped in the dumpster for a long time — possibly since the puppies were born. Thankfully, that chapter of their lives was finally over.
In the weeks that followed, the puppies grew stronger and healthier. One by one, all five found loving forever homes. Regina, however, is still waiting for hers.
Regina would thrive with a patient, understanding family willing to let her open up at her own pace. She’s currently in Brazil, but Protect Animals Worldwide is open to placing her with an adopter in the United States.
For anyone interested in giving Regina the loving home she deserves, more information is available through the rescue here.
