A 12-year old boy in the town of Revda in Russia's Urals has been praised by the locals for his “bravery and selflessness” after he helped to save a group of puppies from certain death. The dogs got caught in a drain, and “no other men” bothered to rescue them.

Sasha Chebykin was on an aimless walk with some other boys, when they saw two women standing on a roadside by a drain full of water after a recent storm. A dog was running around and helplessly whining.

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As it turned out, the women noticed the stray dog had a newly born puppy with it, and realized some more might have been stuck in the drain. There was a concrete bay by the road, under which the women could not reach. They called police, emergency services and friends, as well as asking male passers-by for help.

"But no one wanted to get involved," one of the women told the local Revda-info website.

It was Sasha who took his clothes off, climbed "into the very dirty and cold water" and managed to grab the puppies.

"He wasn't afraid to be dabbled with mud to save a life. He is a real hero. I am very happy that there is at least one real man in Revda, I'm so proud of him," the woman said.

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While local animal activists promised to take care of the dog and her puppies, the story of the "brave and selfless" boy was published by local news and shared on social media. Many called on the authorities to honor Sasha "at least with sweets, or a commendation."

"He not just saved a stray dog's life; he rushed to help someone who's weaker, with no regard to his own safety and comfort, when no one else bothered to help," Revda-info wrote.