Sad dog buries her deceased puppy, stays by his side and ensures he's covered even after death

The loss of a child is one of the most distressing experiences for a mother, and the overprotective instincts of maternal animals are similar to those of human women. Bettie, a dog, had a painful experience when one of her puppies passed away. Despite her efforts to save him, she eventually had to let him go. In a heart-wrenching moment captured on camera, the grieving dog proceeded to bury the puppy's body on her own.

Lenny Rose Ellema, Bettie's owner, can be seen in the footage digging a grave and burying the deceased puppy, carefully covering him with soil. The video was shot in September 2020 when Bettie was four years old.

This was reported by Diario Sevilla newspaper. According to Rose, who lives in the Philippine province of Pangasinan, her four-year-old dog had lost one of her newborn puppies. Driven by maternal instincts, Rose attempted to revive the puppy by providing care and attention. She also recalled experiencing a similar situation a year prior when one of her previous puppies had passed away during childbirth.

He continued to explain that she was an exceptional dog because her owners never had to train her to behave in that way; it simply came naturally to her. Bettie was heartbroken, and in the footage, she can be seen playing with her deceased puppy and carefully filling the grave with dirt while keeping watch over him.

It seems that the mother dog wanted to protect her puppy from the outside world and provide him with a respectful burial, making this gesture both poignant and heartbreaking. Some experts suggest that this instinctive behavior is meant to keep predators away from the carcass, thereby preventing harm to the rest of the litter.