Alone near a wooded creek in a rural region of Tennessee, a courageous mama dog recently gave birth to a huge litter of 12 puppies. With no one looking out for them, the mama took the burden upon herself, doing her best to care for her babies with what little she had.

When local dog rescuer Sarah Kodad heard about the fuzzy family, she knew she had to help.

“[I felt] sad and angry that another dog had been dumped,” Kodad told The Dodo.

As a longtime animal advocate, Kodad always hates to see innocent pups being neglected.

“They’re such loyal companions, who give their all for their humans or families,” Kodad said. “It’s not fair for them to be tossed away or mistreated.”

Kodad tracked the mama’s movements through the area. When she located them, she realized, with an aching heart, that one puppy had passed away. She loaded the 11 other puppies and their mom into the safety of her car and began making arrangements for their care.

The rescuer got in touch with a contact at Rubies and Rogues, a nonprofit community aid and animal advocacy organization, and asked for help. The contact connected Kodad with a local foster family, who happily opened their doors to the pups.

Now, the mama and her babies are resting peacefully in their foster home, where they’ll remain until they’re ready to look for their permanent families.

Kodad is so glad that these puppies are safe and that their mom can finally relax.

“No more worrying about your babies, momma,” Kodad wrote in a Facebook post. “No more pregnancies … no more struggling to survive.”