Earlier this month, Carlin Curtis spotted a dog just off the road while driving in Mississippi. As she pulled over, Curtis realized three tiny puppies were crowding around their mama in the rocks and dirt. The dogs had likely been dumped and abandoned.

Luckily for this little family, Curtis is an independent rescue partner with Wright-Way Rescue, an organization that focuses on rural animal rescues in the Southern Midwest. The mama dog, who has since been named Sugar, must’ve known Curtis was there to help, because she walked right up to her, eager yet relieved.

Curtis offered Sugar some food — a much-needed meal for a nursing mother who had likely been scrounging for food for several days. The puppies were placed into a large plastic tub Curtis keeps in her car for surprise roadside rescues like this one.

Once the puppies were safe and Sugar had a full belly, the mama dog collapsed in Curtis’ back seat for a well-deserved nap. She and her puppies were safe at last.

JeriLynn Burks, director of development at Wright-Way Rescue, told The Dodo that all of the dogs were healthy enough to head straight to a foster after Curtis found them. The foster family quickly fell in love with Sugar and decided to officially adopt her.

Soon after, the 2-month-old puppies were transported to the rescue’s medical campus in Southern Illinois. Named Bailey, Bree and Burt, the siblings are incredibly playful and have big appetites. “Bailey seems to possibly be a bit more timid,” Burks added. “But they are all crazy with puppy energy and enthusiasm.”

Burks said the puppies have already been spayed and neutered. After a two-week “healthy hold,” they’ll get vaccinated and head to another location for playtime and socialization with other puppies.

“Once they’re 16 weeks old and fully vaccinated, they’re cleared for outdoor walks and adventures,” Burks said, though these puppies have certainly had lots of outdoor adventures already.

As for Sugar, she is thriving in her forever home — and getting as much food and rest as she needs.

There’s nothing more serene than trekking through the Amazonian jungle and taking in the diverse wildlife around you — unless you’re a dog named Polar, whose white fur causes an immediate stir as soon as he arrives.

Polar, a mostly-white terrier mix, loves exploring Madre de Dios, Peru, with his parents, TikTok user @abychan12 (Abichan), and fur brother, Calvin. One of their favorite activities is hiking through the lowland jungle surrounding their neighborhood, but doing so always comes at a lighthearted cost for Polar.

You can see Polar on his daily hike here:

Of the many species of wildlife fluttering around the jungle, one group of winged friends — monarch butterflies — become instantly obsessed with Polar as soon as they spot his fur through the trees. They can’t help but swarm the pup, covering him with their bright orange wings from head to tail.

You can watch the butterflies swarm Polar here:

The hoard of butterflies blankets Polar’s back and neck for the few seconds he allows them to perch. As they dance around his body, their wings opening and closing in delight, the butterflies temporarily give Polar a new orange hairdo.

Polar remains temporarily patient.

As friendly as Polar is, he’s not a fan of walking around with many little friends on his back. He shakes the butterflies off and continues his hike, only to be swarmed again a few minutes later.

When Abichan posted a TikTok of Polar attracting the butterflies, one commenter had an idea as to why they were so obsessed with him.

“Butterflies perch on white surfaces,” TikTok user @karlysol3 (Karly Sol) wrote in a comment. “If you ever go to see monarch butterflies in Michoacán, [Mexico], wear white, and you’ll see.”

Abichan highlighted Sol’s comment and confirmed the user’s theory. She used Calvin, who has brown fur, as evidence.

“You’re very right; it’s because of his white fur,” Abichan responded. “Not a single insect landed on my other dog.”

So far, Polar is the only one out of his core hiking group whom the monarch butterflies seem to care about. And while that burden can sometimes get annoying, Polar can’t deny his special bond with his dozens of winged friends.