The call came on an ordinary afternoon, but the message was anything but ordinary. A small rescue group had learned that a dog and her newborn pups had been discovered in a dumpster, tossed aside as if their lives meant nothing.
When Simone Belser, cofounder of Protect Animals Worldwide, heard the details, she didn’t hesitate for a moment. She grabbed her gear, rushed to the location and lifted the heavy lid of the metal bin — and what she found inside stopped her cold.
Curled into the corner of the dumpster was a young mother pittie, her body wrapped protectively around a pile of newborn babies.
Their tiny bellies rose and fell in shallow breaths, and their skin was still pink from birth. The sight of them lying in trash, fighting to stay warm, left Simone heartbroken. She knew right away this little family had only hours left unless someone stepped in.
A Race Against Time To Save the Littlest Lives
The babies were so small that their eyes were still sealed shut. Their soft squeaks were barely audible, drowned out by the buzzing flies and rattling plastic around them.
Simone understood instantly that these puppies wouldn’t last the night if they stayed where they were.
The mother dog, later named Regina, was trying her best, nudging her babies close, but she couldn’t protect them from the cold metal or the danger around them.
Simone carefully lifted Regina and each fragile pup out of the dumpster one by one, cradling them in blankets as she rushed them to the rescue’s emergency clinic.
Staff members were already waiting when she arrived, prepared for the worst but hoping for a miracle. The puppies were icy cold and nearly motionless. Every pair of hands in the room moved quickly — warming, rubbing, and gently urging their tiny bodies to respond.
It was a tense few hours. The rescue team did everything possible to stabilize them, knowing that newborns this vulnerable could slip away at any moment.
Regina stood nearby the whole time, watching over them with anxious eyes. Even after everything she’d endured, she stayed strong for her babies.
A Mama Who Refused To Give Up
As the night wore on, the puppies finally began to wiggle and nurse, helped along by warmth, milk, and their mother’s steady devotion.
Regina never once looked away. She leaned close to her pups, as if her presence alone could pull them back into life — and maybe it did.
The veterinary team quickly realized that this little family had likely been sitting in that dumpster for far longer than anyone first assumed.
Regina and the pups carried a strong odor of garbage, and the babies’ skin was wrinkled and cool from exposure. For those tiny puppies, their entire lives had taken place inside a metal bin filled with trash. Yet Regina had kept them alive with nothing but her own warmth and willpower.
Over the next few weeks, the clinic became their safe haven. The pups grew stronger and began to toddle around with unsteady legs.
Regina greeted every staff member with cautious hopefulness, but her heart never strayed far from her children. Day after day, she showed the gentle patience of a mother who wanted nothing more than to keep her babies safe.
Soon the puppies were old enough to be weaned, and one by one they found loving families eager to give them the lives they deserved.
Watching them leave was bittersweet — each adoption was a celebration, but it also left Regina with a quieter corner in her kennel and a longing in her eyes that no one could miss.
Regina’s Next Chapter Is Still Waiting To Begin
Today, all five of Regina’s puppies are growing up in warm homes, showered with affection and surrounded by people who adore them.
But Regina herself is still hoping to find that same kind of love. Her rescuers say she has a soft soul and a gentle way of watching people, as if trying to decide whether she is finally safe.
She needs a patient adopter — someone who understands that a heart bruised by neglect takes time to heal. Regina has shown incredible strength, surviving conditions no mother should ever face. What she needs now is a family who will give her space to bloom at her own pace.
Regina is currently living in Brazil under the care of Protect Animals Worldwide, but the rescue is willing to arrange an adoption for a loving family in the United States. They believe she deserves a home where her loyalty and devotion can be met with kindness in return.
For a dog who protected her pups in a dumpster and never gave up, a warm bed and gentle hands would mean the world.
After everything she’s endured, Regina is ready for someone to finally choose her — not toss her aside. And when that day comes, she will give her new family the same unwavering love that saved her puppies’ lives.