A stray dog in southern Ontario has become an internet sensation after she was found cuddling five orphan kittens to keep them warm on the side of a rural road.

The dog, who has been named Serenity, was spotted by a passerby on November 16 and taken — along with her new pack of kitten babies — to Chatham-Kent organization Pet and Wildlife Rescue.

The kittens likely wouldn't have been spotted or survived on their own given the -2 C temperatures and snowy conditions on the evening of their rescue.

The heartwarming story has had international reach and seen coverage in outlets such as People, The Dodo and Huffpost, bringing feelings to readers all over the globe.

Hundreds of comments on Pet and Wildlife Rescue's original post include "What a beautiful and brave girl! I wanna hug her" and "Animals are so amazing. Unconditional love, the human race needs to take heed."

Many users from places as far (and random) as Missouri and California extended offers via the Facebook post to adopt the whole adorable animal family.

There is so much to learn from animals. They are so much better than humans.

— Dana (@DanaNLarsen) November 23, 2019

Two-year-old sweetheart Serenity is in fact up for adoption through the Chatham-Kent group, and her kittens will be as well as soon as they are old enough. They are currently warm, safe and happy in local foster care.