Ashley Boggs knew something was wrong. She’d been driving down a winding forest road in Puerto Rico when she saw the car in front of her stop and then continue driving. She soon discovered the reason for traffic halting — a small brown dog was running up to cars on the busy road, begging for help.

Boggs, who works with Miracles for Satos Rescue, quickly realized why the sweet dog was so desperate — all of her babies were nearby.

“I got out and noticed she was a nursing mom, so I decided to follow her,” Boggs told The Dodo.

It wasn’t long before Boggs noticed two puppies close to the road. She secured the mama and her puppies in her car. Then she went out looking for the rest of the family.

“That is when I could hear puppy cries coming from the wooded area and went to investigate,” Boggs said.

As she traversed the lush, green forest, she scanned the area and began to spot little faces peeking out from the leaves.

“I was surprised that there were so many,” Boggs said. “I was also sad because I knew that they wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t found them. There was no food or water left, and they were in a very secluded area. It is joyful and sorrowful all at the same time. They were just so adorable.”

Boggs grabbed the four babies from the forest and brought them back to her car. Soon, the entire family of seven was back together, headed toward the shelter.

Boggs recorded the rescue in a video here:

Safe at last, the mother dog, later named Goji, couldn’t thank her rescuer enough.

“She was so loving and kept kissing and hugging me to say thank you,” Boggs said.

Despite their time spent in such a scary situation, Goji and her puppies were affectionate and fun-loving. They soon became shelter favorites.

“The mom is such an angel,” Boggs said. “She is very loving and enjoys when people come in and pet her. The puppies are extremely playful. They love to play with the volunteers and tug on the shoe laces.”

Already, two of the puppies have been adopted into loving families. Soon, Goji and the rest of her puppies will find their perfect homes, too.

Though they once were forced to navigate a dark forest and a busy road, this family will never have to worry about fending for themselves again.