Dog Digs Hole to Save Puppies from Chile Forest Fire

As a forest fire raged last weekend in Valparaiso, Chile, a very smart stray dog managed to save her nine puppies’ lives by digging a hole under a large metal container.

People living near the area told firefighters they saw the black dog leading the 2-week-old puppies away from the flames and burying them. The mother dog didn’t crawl into the hole, but instead stayed in a “protective corner,” Telemundo reports.

As news crews gathered, paramedics and volunteers dug out the puppies. The pups and their hero mom, who’s been named Negita (“Blacky”), “were all alive and healthy,” one of the rescuers told Telemundo.

The family is now being cared for by volunteers. Local residents have been asking to adopt the puppies as well as their mom.

The fire, believed to have started at an illegal landfill, killed one person and seriously injured five firefighters. Earlier this week, National Forestry Corporation Director Aaron Cavieres said it had been “pretty well contained,” according to the BBC.

Photos via YouTube