Few things cause a mother more pain than losing a child; just like human mothers, animal mothers can be fiercely protective. Bettie the dog endured deep sorrow when one of her puppies passed away. After hours of trying to save him, she finally accepted his loss and let him go. Her owner reported that Bettie, heartbroken, took it upon herself to bury the deceased puppy, a touching and tragic moment captured on camera.
In the video released in September 2020, Bettie, then four years old, is seen digging a hole and carefully covering her puppy’s body.
According to Diario Sevilla, Rose from Pangasinan, Philippines, shared that her four-year-old dog had lost a newborn puppy. Rose’s maternal instincts led her to try and revive the puppy by caring for him, reminiscent of her own experience from the previous year when one of her other puppies had died during birth.
He added that Bettie was truly exceptional because her owners had never needed to teach her; it was something she did instinctively. Bettie was deeply distressed, and in the footage, you can see her playing with her puppy and filling the grave with dirt, continuing to guard him even after his death.
This gesture seems to reflect his desire to protect the puppy from the outside world and provide him with a dignified burial, making the act both poignant and tragic. Some experts suggest that such behavior is instinctive, intended to shield the carcass from predators and prevent danger to the rest of the litter.
