There’s nothing more powerful than a motherly instinct, and a new story is going viral that shows that not even two broken legs can stop this instinct from kicking in!

Eve is a poodle mix believed to be between the ages of three and five, and she had spent much of her life living as a stray in Midland, Texas. Eve’s life changed in September, when she was hit by a car and rushed to a local animal shelter. Staffers that treated Eve noticed that she was depressed and that she was lactating.

Workers at the shelter concluded that Eve must have had puppies somewhere, but they were never able to find them. She was clearly depressed because she had been separated from her children.

Eve found a new purpose in life when she met six kittens from two different litters at the shelter. Staffers say that Eve “instantly took” to the kittens, and her motherly instincts kicked right in! Since she was still lactating, Eve was able to start nursing the kittens, who ranged from being a few days to three weeks old. Workers say that Eve “loves the job and duty of being a mom.”

When Cassie’s Place, a non-profit animal rescue and rehabilitation organization in San Antonio, heard about Eve’s story, they decided to cover all of her medical expenses. They even decided to help out her kittens as well so that they would not have to be separated!

Eve had to get several pins and a cast to treat her broken legs, and she underwent surgery at the end of September. She quickly recovered from the surgery and happily returned to her duties of being a mom!

Staffers at Casey’s Place say that she uses her splint as a cane, and she can sometimes get a little clumsy as she tries to keep up with her kittens. One staffer said that Eve “does sometimes get going too fast and face plants. Her front legs can’t keep up with her back legs.”

These days, all of Eve’s kittens are either up for adoption, or soon will be. Eve herself is expected to make a full recovery!

Find out more about her story in the video below!