It was a freezing cold night in Ontario, Canada, when a woman noticed something weird. She decided to approach and that’s when she saw curled up on a snowy roadside, was a shivering stray dog.

The dog could have found a place to go a stay a bit warmer but the woman also noticed that the little dog was protecting five orphaned kittens, whom she was cuddling to keep warm in the biting temperatures.

The kind hearted woman didn’t want to let the poor animals outside in the freezing cold, so she took all of them home with her. The next day she drove them to Pet and Wildlife Rescue shelter. However when they all arived there it was pretty clear to see the strong bond between the dog and kittens.For rescue staff, learning the circumstances of this case made one thing clear: the pup had saved the kittens’ lives.

“It’s truly heartwarming!” a shelter spokesperson told The Dodo. “It had been a very cold night so these kittens would have had a very hard time surviving.”

The kittens are now safe, but require treatment for flea and worm infestations. Meanwhile, the sweet stray dog who saved them insists on overseeing their progress with regular visits — much like a proud mother.

Unfortunately it’s unknown if the dog or the kittens belong to anyobody. However the shelter hopes that the owner will come by soon otherwise they will all be put up for adoption.

Thanks to this amazing dog , five kittens were saved from death!

“Our staff sees many difficult situations on a daily basis and stories like this one make every heartache worth it,” the shelter said.