This is the heartwarming moment a young boy rescues a stray dog and her newborn puppies from a freezing pipe after a local animal shelter appealed to parents for help, as the space was too small for the adult volunteers to get into.

Second-grade student Andrey, who comes from the town of Beryozovsky in the Russian region of Kemerovo Oblast, in Siberia, rescued the dogs on 30th December.

Footage of the incident was shared on the social network VK where it has been viewed over 110,000 times.

According to local reports, the stray dog gave birth to puppies inside a freezing 10-metre pipe that was impossible for adult volunteers to reach.

As a result, members of the animal shelter appealed to families with children to lend a hand, and over 30 parents reportedly responded to the call, including Andrey’s mum and dad.

Concerned for the dogs’ wellbeing due to the extreme cold temperatures, volunteers helped Andrey into the narrow gap in the thick snow so he could put the puppies in a container inside the pipe and then slide them out.

The mother dog and her puppies are currently being looked after by volunteers at the animal shelter.

The refuge shared videos on social media of Andrey venturing into the dark pipe while using a mobile phone for light as well as clips of the animals being cared for at the shelter.

Winter months often see lows of below minus 20 degrees Celsius in Beryozovsky.