Every day, team members at Pups Without Borders, a rescue organization in Los Angeles, California, respond to help animals in crisis. Each time they think they’ve seen it all, another call comes in that surprises them. Like recently, when they learned about a group of nine “emaciated” puppies living alone inside an abandoned car.

Rescuers don’t have much information about the dogs’ backstory. They believe the pups once belonged to an unhoused couple, who eventually left them in the car when they couldn’t care for them anymore. Regardless of how they got there, it was clear the puppies wouldn’t make it much longer on their own, and they needed help.

When Pups Without Borders CEO Eve Bañuelos first heard about the dogs, her heart broke. Initially, she feared she wouldn’t be able to assist, as the rescue was already over capacity. Bañuelos thought it over and eventually decided to text her team members. As soon as they heard the news, they knew what they needed to do.

“We spoke as a team, and agreed we would help as many puppies as we could find fosters for,” Bañuelos told The Dodo. “That was basically our way of saying we can help if we also get help for them.”

Bañuelos and her team posted on Facebook, urging foster parents to step up. They quickly secured foster families for five of the puppies. When it became clear that no one else could help, Pups Without Borders agreed to take the rest of the group for the time being.

The puppies all received needed medical care and settled into life in their new homes. Today, they’re still adjusting, but they already look a lot happier.

“They are all doing so much better — they are no longer super skinny!” Bañuelos said. “And [they] are coming out of their shells. They really look like completely different dogs.”

Bañuelos hopes this story encourages dog lovers to find ways to help needy pups in their area. If everyone does their part, puppies like these won’t have to worry; they’ll always find their way to a safe, loving home.

“I wish people would have a heart,” Bañuelos said. “I think there are more dog lovers out there than we realize. And if all of them supported rescues by adopting, fostering, volunteering or donating, it would make a huge difference.”