When Raf.kw, a rescue based in Kuwait, saw a video of a dog wandering in the desert all alone, they sprang into action. On the day they set out to look for her, it was 122 degrees Fahrenheit outside. That kind of heat can be deadly, and they knew they had to find her fast.

After searching for a bit, they eventually found the pup, later named Sandy, hiding under a water tank. She’d dug a hole underneath it to keep herself cool and out of the sun — and to hide something very important to her.

The team approached Sandy and her puppies slowly, working to gain her trust. They offered her food and talked to her in soothing voices. They wanted her to know that they were there to help her. After about 15 minutes, Sandy allowed the rescuers to reach into the hole and pull her puppies out to safety.

“Once she was in the crate, she just knew that she was safe,” Danna said. “It was day and night. She’d gone from this protective, terrified, abandoned mother to, honestly, just looking at us and saying, ‘I know what you’re doing. Thank you.’”

Sandy’s puppies, Zeus, Zaydar and Zack, were adopted by a family in Canada and are now absolutely thriving. The entire family found their happy endings, all thanks to Sandy and how well she protected them until help arrived.