Rescue Labrador Retriever Helps Raise Orphaned Kittens

A lone dog and a litter of kittens were an unlikely match when a U.K. animal rescue charity learned that one of its rescue dogs took it upon herself to care for seven abandoned kittens on all on her own.

The 2-week-old kittens were found abandoned on the side of a road and were taken into Battersea, a South East England rescue organization, according to a release. The kittens were taken in for an emergency veterinary examination and were healthy, but very hungry.

Caretakers were thrilled when they learned that one of their rescue dogs, a 1-year-old Labrador retriever named Bertie, started looking after the kittens. 

Bertie's owner, Rachel, who is also a head nurse at the animal rescue charity, offered to take care of the kittens until they found their own forever home.

Rachel calls the kittens "a handful," especially in their early days when bottle-feeding was round the clock. 

The cats were eventually able to move back to the shelter and adopted by their new families.

Rachel added, "I was sad to see them go, but I can take comfort in knowing that Bertie and I helped give them the best start in life."

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