Dog adopts and protects abandoned kittens at California shelter

The staff had found the newborns abandoned near the highway and brought them in, hoping for the best. Freya had arrived just days before, a stray herself. Now, whenever the kittens cried, Freya would inch closer, pushing them gently with her nose until they nestled against her. If one strayed, she’d carefully pick it up by the scruff, returning it to the pile. Shelter volunteers noticed Freya seemed most content when all the kittens were nursing; she’d close her eyes and rest her chin on the smallest one. By the end of the week, the kittens had gained weight, their tiny bodies round and full.