A dog has been caught on camera breaking out of her kennel to go and comfort two crying puppies who were missing their mother.

Maggie, an Australian shepherd cross, had recently had her own litter of puppies taken away from her.

So when she heard the cries of puppies, Kari and Hannah, at Barkers Pet Motel and Grooming in Alberta, Canada, her maternal instinct kicked in and she took action.

Sandy Aldred, the owner of the kennels, returned from dinner to find Maggie had broken free and was waiting outside their enclosure.

Staff were so moved by Maggie's desire to comfort the two puppies that they let her sleep in the same room.

"It was really sweet - she just had to be with those puppies," Ms Aldred told CBC.

"They were just all so happy to be together. She was nuzzling them really gently and nudging them, and then she laid down and let them cuddle with her.

"The puppies needed her and she needed them. It was pretty perfect."