On the evening of December 23, while most people were already enjoying their holiday weekends with family, Tessa Lee, a dedicated volunteer with the Whitecourt Homeless Animal Rescue Foundation (WHARF) in Edmonton, Alberta, was still on the clock.

Her phone rang with an urgent call: five puppies in critical condition had been found on a private property, about 45 minutes west of Edmonton.

“All of them were severely emaciated and dehydrated,” Tessa recalled. “The cold was brutal — they were barely hanging on.”

Without hesitation, she drove straight to Alberta Beach. Although she spotted other animals on the property, she was only permitted to take the five puppies, each trembling violently from the freezing temperatures. As she loaded them into her car, Tessa couldn’t be sure they would survive the night.

Back home, she sprang into action. She assessed their hydration, placed them on heat packs, administered subcutaneous fluids, and gave them maple syrup to boost glucose levels. Every two hours, she carefully fed them recovery wet dog food through syringes. “Every breath felt fragile. I couldn’t let my guard down,” she said.

For Tessa’s family, sharing Christmas dinner with “special guests” is nothing new. Over the years, they’ve welcomed litters of kittens, orphaned puppies, and even newborn lambs in need of round-the-clock care. “When there’s an animal in need, our phones are never off — not even at Christmas,” Tessa explained.

By Christmas Eve morning, four of the five puppies were showing signs of recovery. But one little girl, a red-coated beauty with a visible ribcage, was still too weak to stand. Tessa named her Ruby, knowing the next 24 hours would be critical. Posting an update to WHARF’s Facebook page, she wrote: “Keep Ruby in your thoughts. We’ll share more after the holidays.”

Then, on Christmas morning, a small miracle unfolded. Ruby could finally push herself up — only for a few seconds, but enough to drink water and eat on her own. “Merry Christmas, everyone! We have movement,” Tessa announced online, her relief evident.

The post quickly filled with hundreds of messages of encouragement and offers to foster or adopt Ruby. Yet her fight was far from over. “Ruby is still touch-and-go,” Tessa admitted. “She’s under 24/7 monitoring. The other four are holding steady, and we’ll keep everyone updated.”

Caring for the puppies was exhausting, but for Tessa, it was worth every sleepless night. “Special cases like this require an enormous commitment — waking every two hours to feed them, checking their alertness through the night,” she said. “Every animal deserves care, and for the past decade, we’ve done everything in our power to provide it.”

If all goes well, Ruby’s siblings will be ready for adoption by February. This Christmas, Tessa was reminded that love, persistence, and compassion can create miracles — even on the coldest winter nights.