When Lovebug and her puppies were first rescued by Hope for Life Rescue in Virginia, the poor mama dog was absolutely terrified. She wouldn’t let anyone near her days-old puppies and was determined to care for them all by herself — even though she’d given birth to SO many.

“She was so scared,” Danielle of Hope for Life Rescue said in a video for The Dodo. “Shaking and not letting us get too close to her or the babies. Some of our concerns were about her gaining weight, because 14 puppies on a medium-sized dog is insane.”

The average number of puppies in a litter is five to six, and Lovebug gave birth to over twice that many. Despite giving birth to an army of babies, Lovebug was dedicated to each and every one of them. She was the most devoted mama her rescuers had ever seen. Still, they knew she could use a little help — and after a few days, Lovebug finally began learning to trust.

A beloved volunteer, Miss Suzie, signed up for socialization sessions with Lovebug, reading to her and showing her what it means to be loved. She even cooked chicken for her every day and brought it to her, still dropping it off on the days she wasn’t volunteering. With the help of Miss Suzie and the rest of the team, Lovebug learned that the world isn’t so scary, and she and her puppies fell in love with all their new friends.

“The puppies were spitfires from the beginning,” Danielle said. “As soon as they were up and running, they would follow Mom through the room for more milk.”

The puppies’ little personalities soon began shining through in a big way, and before long, all 14 of them had been adopted. Thanks to Lovebug, they were strong, healthy and ready to take on the world in their new forever homes.

“Lovebug as a mom couldn’t have been any better,” Danielle said. “She took care of those babies with every ounce of her being.”

It’s been a few years since Lovebug and her puppies were first rescued, and now they’re all thriving in their new homes thanks to Hope for Life and their refusal to give up on the scared mama.