January 23, 2025, 9:23 am | Read time: 4 minutes
A video showing heart-warming scenes has been circulating on social media for days. It shows a street dog from Turkey carrying her sick puppy to a clinic to save him. But was that really the case? PETBOOK spoke to dog trainer Katharina Marioth about the background to the video.
A video is currently circulating on social media showing a street dog in Beylikdüzü near Istanbul carrying her sick puppy in her mouth through the pouring rain to a veterinary clinic so that it can be rescued. The surveillance camera footage shows the dog dropping her puppy off at the door of the clinic. A short time later, a vet arrives to take care of the little patient.
Video Has Been Clicked More Than 6 Million Times in a Very Short Time
The puppy was hypothermic and in a very poor general condition, writes the Daily Mail. The young dog also had a low heart rate. According to the clinic, the dog had recently given birth to several puppies nearby. However, most of them died, the British newspaper quotes the attending vet Baturalp Dogan as saying. The mother’s rescue operation, therefore, appears to have been incessant.1
These are scenes of maternal love that warm the heart. The video has now been clicked on more than six million times. Users also shared touching comments in the accompanying comment section. “Mothers are simply mothers – no matter what species” or “We simply don’t deserve dogs. They are so noble, and their hearts are made of gold” are some of the many comments. But what is really behind this video?
An Expert’s Interpretation of the Dog’s “Rescue Operation”
Dog trainer and dog behavior expert Katharina Marioth watched the viral video of the dog carrying the puppy to a clinic with PETBOOK and said: “Well, when you listen to the description, it really gets to your heart. You think: ‘Gosh, look, the dog knows that her puppy is being helped.'” However, it’s worth taking a closer look, said Marioth.
“If you then read more deeply or look at the clinic’s description, it becomes clear that another puppy of hers had already been brought to this clinic – by animal rights activists who had found a second puppy of hers.” She, therefore, interprets the situation differently and does not think that the dog had the conscious link that the sick puppy could be helped in a veterinary practice. Marioth explained the situation much more rationally. “The dog simply followed the trail of her first puppy, which had already been taken there. Even if that sounds less heartwarming.”
The Matter of Primal Instincts
In this case, it was most likely not about actively organizing help for the puppy but rather about keeping her litter together. This is a primal instinct in bitches. The mother likely carried the surviving puppy to the clinic while searching for the other puppy, simply following its scent. “A bitch can carry a maximum of one or two puppies at a time and may have a positive association with the practice or the people there. But her primary concern is to ensure that her puppies survive.” Thus, it is instinctual for dog mothers to keep their litter together.
“To put it bluntly, this is, first and foremost, an instinct that is controlled by hormone secretions during and after birth. Every mammal automatically has a bond with its offspring – biologically necessary for reproduction.” Katharina Marioth perceives a clear tendency in the media to anthropomorphize dog behavior. “This often happens because emotions and humanization make stories more accessible. It’s a touching story, and if it helps people donate more to animal welfare, that’s wonderful.”
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Nevertheless, Marioth warns that the facts should be considered more rationally. “Nevertheless, the story speaks to the incredible ability of the dog’s nose to follow a scent so precisely.” One thing that runs constantly through both media coverage and user comments is the issue of motherly love. Is the concept of motherly love really a suitable description for what a dog associates with her puppies, or is it “just” a hormone-driven program of nature?
“I find it difficult to describe this with human terms like ‘motherly love,'” explains the dog expert, “Of course, a bitch has a close bond with her puppies, which is essential for survival. Likewise, puppies have an immediate bond with their mother. However, referring to it as ‘motherly love’ excessively humanizes animals, which can be problematic.”