Dogs are such sweet, protective animals. They’re always looking after people — especially children and babies. There’s something in their protective instincts that makes them look after a young child.

That’s what this story proves: after a mother dog was found with an abandoned newborn, helping to keep her warm in the freezing cold.

According to SWNS, locals in the Chhattisgarh province of India found the newborn in a field after hearing her crying. She was apparently abandoned by her parents: The baby was naked and still had the umbilical cord attached.

However, she wasn’t alone: the locals found her with a mother dog and her puppies, who were seemingly keeping the baby warm overnight by laying beside her.

The bystanders concluded that the dog’s motherly instincts likely saved the child’s life during the overnight temperature drop.

“It’s possibly the warmth from puppies and their mother itself who had kept this new born alive,” one anonymous local told SWNS.

Officers arrived on the scene to handle the case, and the newborn, now named Akanksha, was taken to the hospital and examined by doctors.

A criminal investigation is now ongoing to find the infant’s neglectful parents: “They are not parents, they are criminals,” a local named Premnath said.

While it’s a heartbreaking situation, it’s still a miracle that the baby survived at all, thanks to this caring mother dog.

“It is a miracle only to find new born baby surviving when stray dogs are lurking every now and then at the dead of the night.”

What a miracle. Thank god this dog was there to keep this poor newborn warm and alive during the cold night.

We hope this baby will be okay, and hope the parents who abandoned her so cruelly face justice.

Share this story!

We Love Animals is now on Instagram! Follow us today for lots of adorable animal pics and great stories!