In the early morning hours on February 6, 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria. It is the strongest quake to hit the area in over 80 years and caused massive destruction. Buildings and homes collapsed killing over 40,000 people and leaving more than a million homeless.

Search and rescue teams from near and far are still digging through the heaps of rubble in the freezing temperatures to try and find survivors. Some of the survivors have been dogs and cats found buried under the debris. Six days after the earthquake, a team in Diyarbakir province found a mama dog and her puppies alive under one of the collapsed buildings.

Photo: Pixabay/Angelo Giordano

A video shared by the British newspaper, The Sun, shows rescuers freeing the trapped dogs and wrapping them in warm blankets. They were immediately offered food and water, but Mama had only one thing on her mind - her puppies. She stretched out to reach one of her puppies and nuzzled it to ensure it was ok. The puppies devoured the food as rescuers gently stroked the traumatized mama dog.

According to the newspaper, "The poor animals survived the quakes with slight injuries, and were sent to a vet's clinic for medical checks."

Watch the rescue video below.

Sadly, the death toll continues to rise, and millions of people are in need of food, supplies, and shelter. Greater Good Charities is on the ground in Turkey offering hot meals, staple food and supplies to people and pets in need.

People are facing unimaginable loss and need your help. Join us in providing essentials to survivors by donating here.