Some American heroes recently saved a mother dog and her pups from a harrowing situation — but that's not the end of the story.  

A group of U.S. Army soldiers deployed to the Middle East befriended a pregnant stray dog named Meatball, as the New York-based nonprofit Paws of War told Fox News Digital in an email.

The soon-to-be mama dog had dug beneath a shipping container on the soldiers' military base in search of a place to give birth to her puppies.

US ARMY SPECIALIST HOPES TO RESCUE HELPLESS PUPPY FOUND OVERSEAS: 'STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE'

The soldiers found her there — and nurtured her with food and water as she delivered eight puppies.

Shortly after Meatball gave birth, a rare ice storm hit, filling the dogs' den with hail and sludge.

The soldiers intervened. 

They saved Meatball and her pups from the elements, scooping up the animals and taking them to a warm, safe space to recover.

Caring for Meatball and her young pups gave the soldiers "something positive to focus on" while they were far away from home, said Paws of War — and the soldiers formed bonds with each of the puppies in the process.

Now, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Rickly and fellow soldiers who watched over the dogs in a precarious situation are hoping to ship them out of harm's way — and get them to safety in America.

From "the outside looking in, you might think I saved these puppies, but in so many ways, the pups and Meatball saved me, too," Rickly wrote in a statement provided to Fox News Digital by Paws of War.

"When things back home took a turn for the worse, I became sad being so far away and it was hard to stay focused," the soldier continued.