Earlier this week, while working on a remote farm in Turkey, veterinarian Soner Büyümez heard a sound he couldn’t ignore — a desperate cry, like a call for help.

“I ran toward it right away,” Büyümez told The Dodo. “There had been a landslide, and I saw a dog trapped in the dirt. Only her head was visible above the ground.”

The dog was clearly in distress. But as Büyümez would soon discover, she wasn’t just worried about herself.

“It was heartbreaking to see,” he said.

Without wasting a moment, Büyümez grabbed a shovel and started digging.

As he worked to free the dog, another sound caught his attention — soft but unmistakable cries coming from beneath the surface.

“I heard puppies crying,” he said. “They were buried underground.”

After rescuing the mother, Büyümez dug further — and one by one, he unearthed seven tiny puppies that had been trapped when their den collapsed.

Thanks to his quick action, the entire furry family made it out safely.

Büyümez believes the mother was a stray, doing her best to survive on her own. But she and her babies won’t have to face the world alone anymore.

“They’re all in good condition now,” Büyümez said. “The mother and her puppies are safe, and I’ll take care of them like they’re my own.”