As humans, we’re one of the most compassionate species on the planet. When we encounter a person in trouble, whether they’re a stranger or not, we’ll help out in any way we can.

It turns out this compassion can be seen in other animals, too – especially dogs. It’s thought that dogs can pick up emotions in other dogs, which may help them to show empathy when encountering another dog in distress.

Dogs have long been known for their willingness to look out for one another, but one stray pup took this to a whole new level when he came across a pregnant dog lying injured at the side of a road.

The dog, who is now called Murphy, patiently watched over the injured German Shepherd, named Marley, after she was tragically hit by a car. He stayed this way until help arrived, in the form of animal rescue service, Dream Fetchers: Project Rescue.

Unfortunately, by this time, Marley was in a bad way. According to her rescuer, Faith Easdale, the poor girl was very distressed, and it was unclear whether she’d survive her journey to the vets.

But Marley had her very own guardian angel with her that day: Murphy. He cuddled up to her in the car and rested his head on her tummy, letting her know that he was close by.

It was only when Marley arrived at the animal hospital and the vets gave her an X-ray that they discovered she was pregnant with a litter of puppies. Now it wasn’t just Marley’s life that was on the line – it was the lives of her 10 unborn pups.

The vets treated Marley’s injuries and fitted her legs with a couple of colorful casts.

She was then taken to the The I.C.A.R.E Dog Rescue, who later shared an uplifting post about her recovery:

“Marley was found on the side of the road where she was left broken after being hit by a car. Thankfully, she was rescued by a wonderful team of people and got the help she needed. She went through 2 surgeries to repair her rear leg and was about to have her shattered front leg repaired when they found out she was expecting! Due to her pregnancy, they had to put treatment for her front leg on hold and she’s now in a cast. Momma Marley delivered 10 gorgeous, healthy puppies via c-section 10 days ago. She had 6 handsome boys and 4 lovely little ladies. They are in a loving foster home and are all doing amazing!”

Good old Marley had managed to make it through while her injuries healed. And now she had 10 beautiful puppies to reward her for her efforts. Though by no means is being a mom to 10 an easy job!

While it’s hard to know whether Marley would have survived at the roadside on her own, we certainly think the companionship from her stray pal Murphy helped her to stay conscious until help arrived.

Luckily, Murphy experienced his happy ending too – he was adopted by his own loving parents not long after arriving at the shelter.

Nowadays, Marley having a blast.

She’s enjoying plenty of walks, cuddles, and attention with her new mom, who posted this heartwarming update about the brave doggo:

It’s incredibly uplifting to know that Marley is still continuing to get better today! You can take a look at Faith’s full Facebook post below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

https://www.facebook.com/faith.easdale/posts/10212613890937304

Source: Animal Channel, The Animal Club, Facebook, Facebook, The Dodo, Greater Good