Emergency crews on Monday rescued three sheepdog puppies five days after they were buried in an avalanche that destroyed an Italian hotel.
Rescue workers cheered after finding the puppies, which renewed hope that they still might find survivors trapped inside Hotel Rigopiano, near Farindola in central Italy.
While nine people have been rescued since the avalanche hit, there are still 23 others missing as Italy's fire brigade continues to tunnel into tons of snow. Authorities on Monday also raised the official death toll to seven, the Associated Press reported.