A rescue dog has become the rescuer after adopting a group of newborn kittens. While the relationship is obviously good for the cats, it’s also helping the dog, who was mourning the loss of her own puppies.

Georgia is an Australian shepherd mix who was found living near a gas station near the U.S.-Mexico border near Arizona, ABC 15 reports. According to the outlet, the dog was pregnant when she was taken in by Sunshine Dog Rescue in Phoenix. Soon after, Georgia’s puppies were born premature; tragically, the entire litter was lost.

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“I’ve never had a mom dog lose a whole litter before,” Anita Osa, founder of Sunshine Dog Rescue, told ABC 15. “The best way I could describe it was she was frantic. It was so sad, she was looking for those babies. She tore up the toddler mattress we had her on, trying to find her babies.

The rescue put out a call on social media to see if there were any animals that needed a lactating mother dog. Surprisingly, Osa was connected with a trio of newly orphaned kittens.

Initially, Osa wasn’t sure that Georgia would accept the cats.

“I introduced them to her gently. I first brought one out and let her sniff it, and she seemed to accept it, so I brought the others out,” she said. “It’s amazing to see how she instantly calmed down.

As far as the cats are concerned, Osa thinks there’s a simple explanation for their bond with Georgia.

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“I think for the kittens, they have no idea that Georgia is a dog,” she explained.

Osa nurses the kittens, cleans them and is reportedly very protective of the newborn animals

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