A golden retriever has become a surrogate mom for three endangered painted dogs at a zoo in Indiana after their birth mother rejected them.
The arrangement was set up by the Indiana Council of Animal Welfare and the Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend, WISH reported.
Painted dogs, also known as African wild dogs, are on the endangered species list, with only 6,600 left in the wild.
The three puppies were hand-raised by zoo staff after their mother rejected them shortly after birth. The dogs are currently called Blue, Red and Orange.
“Because it’s so important for painted dogs to be raised in a canine social structure, Indiana Council for Animal Welfare helped us find a surrogate dog, a golden retriever mom named Kassy,” the zoo wrote in an Instagram post.
The puppies are now 11 months old and thriving, thanks to Kassy.
“She’s a hero in our eyes,” the zoo said.
The puppies also formed a connection with Kassy’s biological puppies.