Puppies rescued after avalanche in Italy
Italian Firefighters Handout
Emergency crews digging into an avalanche-slammed hotel were cheered Monday by the discovery of three puppies who had survived for days under tons of snow - giving them new hope for the 23 people still missing in the disaster.
The puppies, that had been trapped under the rubble of the Hotel Rigopiano since it was hit by an avalanche on Wednesday night, were brought to the coordination centre by rescuers in order to be examined by a veterinarian.
Their mother and father, Nuvola and Lupo, escaped the avalanche and were found by the first rescue team to reach the hotel.
The puppies appeared to be in good condition.