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A stray dog kept five young kittens alive during a snowy night in Canada before rescue workers brought the group to safety.

Pet and Wildlife Rescue, based in Chatham-Kent in Ontario, posted pictures of the dog, now named Serenity, alongside the five black kittens that it had protected from the cold.

The now-viral Facebook post read: "Our stray sweetheart is keeping her 'babies' safe at the shelter tonight!"

A passerby contacted a rescue centre after spotting the dog, who had wrapped her body around the kittens, on a roadside.

By the time they were brought in a strong bond had formed between the dog and kittens already, the shelter said.

Speaking to the Dodo, a shelter spokesperson said: "It's truly heartwarming!

"It had been a very cold night so these kittens would have had a very hard time surviving."

It is unclear whether the dog knew the the kittens before they were found but she oversees their progress on regular visits to her brood at the shelter where they are being treated for fleas and worms.

"Our staff sees many difficult situations on a daily basis and stories like this one make every heartache worth it," the shelter said.