There’s nothing more painful than losing a child or a parent.

A litter of puppies lost their mother shortly after their birth – right around the same same time that a mother dog lost her entire litter. What started as a tragedy ended with all of them finally knowing what a family feels like.

A rescue dog named Poppy was a brand new mom, but things ended tragically.

After giving birth to 10 puppies at Ruff Start Rescue in Princeton, Minnesota, the mother dog died unexpectedly.

Shelter staff had to work in shifts to take care of the newborn puppies as they struggled to survive their first weeks.

“We frantically started figuring out our next move with the babies,” Lexi Johnson, a Ruff Start Rescue foster parent and volunteer, told KARE 11.

“Another volunteer was over until 11:30 that night helping bottle feed. And throughout the evening, my husband and I were up every 3 hours getting food in their bellies … and it was taking over 1.5 hours each time.”

As staff struggled to help the puppies, another rescue dog needed their attention.

Pepper, who was also a brand new mother, had just given birth.

Unfortunately, her litter didn’t make it.

The rescue shelter had suffered one tragedy after the other, and it seemed like it was going to be a long night. The puppies were desperate for nurturing and Pepper was clearly depressed.

It was at that moment that the volunteers were struck with an idea.

The staff took Pepper and paired her with the orphaned puppies.

The puppies had lost their mom and Pepper had lost her puppies. It was clearly meant to be.

“When [Pepper] got to our house, we brought her in the puppy room and she immediately sat next to the litter,” said Johnson.

“I started placing puppies around her and she laid down and the puppies instinctively hobbled towards her and started nursing.”

Within 5 minutes of the encounter, the puppies were suckling on their new mom.

But it wasn’t just the puppies who were happy with their new home. Pepper also seemed excited to take on her new role.

Everything ended better than they could have hoped for.

“The babies were all thriving with their humans, but the best place for them is with a mama who can not only give them some good milk, but teach them dog things, behaviors we as humans can’t,” she wrote.

Who knows, maybe Poppy is also looking after Pepper’s puppies on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

On this end, Pepper is going to be a good mom to Poppy’s puppies until they’re big and strong enough to move into their forever homes.

Hear how this adorable family came together in the video below!

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Source: YouTube – FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, KARE 11, FOX 9, People, Facebook – Lexi Ruhland Johnson