A mother dog has remained at the grave site of her deceased offspring ever since she laid it down to rest, according to lifewithdogs.tv.
The animal's loyalty to her pup has been so strong that the Savannah, Georgia community where the pup is buried has created an initiative to lure the mother indoors and out of the below-freezing temperatures that are currently plaguing the southern region of the United States.
"I was walking through Laurel Grove cemetery... I looked over and saw a dog," Hunter Cone, a 15-year-old photographer, told the Savannah Morning News. "I thought it was a statue because it was so still. I looked closer and saw a dead puppy and realized it was a mom mourning the loss of her puppy."
Cone's mother Jennifer provided the dog with food and water. She and Hunter have gone to see the dog every day with a plan to keep coming back until she allows them to rescue her. The golden retriever has so far not let the two near her.
"The dog ran off [Wednesday], we found it [Thursday], and saw she had buried the pup under a bush and she was sitting near the puppy still," Hunter said. "I've seen before how mothers treat their puppies, but this is different. She is sticking around, which leads me to believe it must be her last puppy."
Hunter is concerned that something might happen to the dog based on laws in Chatham County, Georgia, which prevent rescue groups in the area from taking her in. This leaves animal control as his only option.
"I wish the laws were different. ... This is going to be a process," he said.
The Savannah-Chatham Animal Control have reportedly been on the case, Christina Sutherin, one of its officers, told the Morning News.
"Everybody is concerned about her," Sutherin said. "We are, too." Sutherin suggested the dog could give birth to other puppies, but she also noted that she hasn't seen any with her.
News about the dog safe-keeping her pup got around quickly thanks to Cone sharing photos on his Facebook page.
"I've gotten tons of messages," Hunter said. "When one person shares it, it goes around pretty fast."