There’s a reason why Saint Bernards have “saint” in their name.

Parenting is a noble job. And it is even nobler when one chooses to be a parent to someone they are not even related to.

Volunteers from the organization No Dog Left Behind were called into an abandoned home. There, they found a litter of six puppies.

The puppies were suspected orphans.

The volunteers searched the area for their mother but when the search yielded no results, they decided to take the puppies with them.

The puppies, however, were still in a vulnerable state. They were still so young and they needed a mother to nurse onto.

Then the rescuers had an idea.

They brought the puppies to the Easley household.

Stephanie Easley and her husband were fostering a 4-year-old Saint Bernard mix.

Their dog Petunia was found on the streets of rural Minnesota.

No one knew where she came from or how she ended up being a stray.

Since then, she relied on the kindness of strangers, especially when she became pregnant.

Easley’s husband presented them to Petunia.

They thought she was a good candidate as she also just gave birth to an 11-strong litter.

They were nervous when they watched whether Petunia would accept the six puppies.

“Thankfully, she immediately started cleaning them without skipping a beat,” Easley told The Dodo. “There was absolutely no question that these six were now her babies as well.”

The Easleys were worried about Petunia.

As Petunia was moving from one foster to another and one shelter to another, caretakers noticed that she was not interested in taking care of her puppies.

Things quickly changed when Petunia found a good place to take care of her family.

The Easleys said that the moment she got cozy in her temporary suite in their home, she performed her motherly duties well.

Petunia didn’t seem to slow down.

Even if an average litter size of a dog like Petunia can go up to 12 puppies, Petunia didn’t show signs of struggling and or being burdened when she found herself raising 17 adorable little puppies.

The Easleys also shared that they were actually ready to bottle-feed the puppies if need be, but Petunia stepped in and saved the day.

Petunia has amazing motherly instincts.

Easley said that Petunia is an “all-star” who is affectionate, loving, kind, and calm.

She said that while she was blessed with the foster dogs that came and went, she considers Petunia as one of the special ones.

“I know that people often say that humans could learn from dogs, but Petunia is able to love and accept with zero hesitation. She helped others in need even though it’ll be a burden on her. Imagine what the world would be like if humans could all do that.” Easley said.

In the latest update about Petunia, most of the puppies were already rehomed.

And with the conclusion of her motherly duties, they are now looking to rehome Petunia.

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Source: Facebook – No Dog Left Behind – Minnesota Canine Rescue, Facebook – Leech Lake Legacy, Facebook – Stephanie Easley, The Dodo