Though we see it far too widely on television, it’s difficult to believe that mothers would abandon their newborn babies in real life.

But especially for young, single, or overwhelmed mothers, neglecting a baby may seem like the only option.

Abandoning a baby is illegal in the United States, but there is a Safe Haven law.

A baby can be delivered to a “safe haven” under the law.

This can be accomplished without the parents facing charges. Such as child abandonment, endangerment, or neglect.

The definition of a safe haven varies by state. However, all states allow babies to be surrendered at hospitals, emergency medical services providers, or healthcare facilities.

Unfortunately, the baby in this story was not taken to a safe haven; in fact, the location was quite the opposite.

This security footage was captured in Kaithal, India, where no policy is currently in place to protect abandoned children.

A woman can be seen approaching a drain with what appears to be a small, plastic-wrapped package in her arms in the video. The woman walked away after tossing the package down the drain.

Authorities later discovered that this “package” contained a newborn baby girl.

Many of us can’t imagine what could ever motivate someone to abandon their child in such a manner.

Female infanticide or the intentional killing of newborn female babies remains a major issue in India. Many factors contribute to this, including poverty and a lack of support. Sad to say, many parents believe they have no choice but to abandon their children.

But we don’t know what happened to this mother — all we know is what happened next.

The baby was crying, which drew the attention of a couple of stray dogs in the area.

The two became the unlikely heroes of this story, rescuing the baby from the drain and barking to attract the attention of passers-by.

Fortunately, the dogs alerted members of the public, who immediately called the police.

The baby was taken to Kaithal’s District Civil Hospital for emergency treatment.

Principal medical officer Dinesh Kansal told Times of India that,

“She is likely a premature baby born after seven months of pregnancy. We decided to keep her under observation as transit could be life-threatening for her.”

It’s a miracle that the tiny newborn survived, but thanks to the stray dogs who saved her.

She would favorably have a full and happy life ahead of her.

No one’s life should be cut short for any reason, but it can be difficult when there is no one to turn to.

The vast majority of those reading this will consider themselves fortunate to have never been in such a desperate situation.

However, many people would argue that abandoning a baby in a drain is truly heartless, as it gives the poor baby the least chance of survival.

Watch the video below!

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Sources: YouTube – Times of India, Childwelfare, Times of India