There are sadly millions of homeless dogs all over the world that are struggling to survive every day. Coming across any homeless dog is depressing, but coming across two abandoned dogs each with their own litters of puppies is a whole new level of sad.

A woman was out walking in Los Angeles, California recently when she passed an alleyway and two malnourished mother dogs huddling together as they nursed their nine puppies. It was immediately clear that the two single mothers had decided to raise their puppies together.

The woman knew that she could not just leave the mothers and their puppies in the alley, so she picked them up and took them home. She then contacted the Northwest Dog Project (NDP) in Eugene, Oregon to come and pick them up.

Rescue workers appropriately named the two mother dogs Thelma and Louise, and though nobody knows where they came from, it has been speculated that they could be related since they are both terrier mixes. It’s also just as possible that the mothers are best friends who met each other on the streets of L.A.

“I’m sure at some point the moms were dumped by someone. They’re pretty underweight and malnourished… My take is that they had been living on the streets for a while now,”  said Emma Scott, executive director of NDP.

The single mothers are totally inseparable and they are still raising their nine children together. Though they have been at NDP for awhile now, they still rarely leave each other’s sides.

“They seem to have a routine mapped out — one mom grooms the puppies while the other nurses them, and then they’ll switch,” Emma said. “We can’t tell which puppies belong to who! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen something like this. They definitely have a sweet relationship.”

Thelma and Louise have become viral sensations since the NDP started posting photos of them on Facebook, with women everywhere praising them for supporting each other.

“People have really loved hearing about them, we had a lot of women commenting, ‘Single moms unite!’ It’s really special to see them taking care of one another alongside raising the puppies,” Emma added.

The puppies, seven girls and two boys, are just as happy to be off the streets.

Thelma and Louise have since made major strides in their health since they were found malnourished and skinny.

“The moms are both super sweet,” Emma said. “Originally they were a bit nervous, but now they’re seeking out affection and rolling over for belly rubs. And the puppies are just hilarious and tiny. They’re adorable and make it so easy to stay in that room all day.”

Now five weeks old, the puppies will stay with their mothers for at least another month before they are put up for adoption.

We applaud these mothers for coming together to raise their children! We hope all of these dogs find the loving forever homes that they deserve!