An electrician was working at an abandoned house in Detroit when he noticed two furry faces watching him from the backyard. As he got closer, he realized they were two puppies huddled up together, one who appeared to be injured, staring at him from a safe distance. They didn’t seem to belong to anyone and had no business living at an abandoned house, so the electrician quickly sprang into action.

The man contacted Detroit Pit Crew Dog Rescue in hopes that they could help, and Theresa Sumpter, the executive director and founder, headed out to collect them that same day. The pups were pretty scared and still keeping their distance, but after a while, Sumpter was able to grab them.

“It felt amazing to rescue them as I wasn’t sure if I would be able to secure them both as they were very hesitant and cautious to [approach] me at first,” Sumpter told The Dodo. “I was able to win them over with some sweet talk and tasty treats.”

It took about 30 minutes, but the abandoned pups, later named Mercy and Grace, were soon safely in a crate. Both dogs were incredibly shy when they first arrived at the vet hospital to get checked over. It seemed like it might take a while for them to come out of their shells — but only two weeks later, they had transformed into completely different dogs.

“They have both come out of their shells and are doing amazing,” Sumpter said.

The sweet backyard puppies are now safe and sound, healthy and ready to go off and find their forever homes.