When One of A Kind Pet Rescue heard about Violet’s story, their hearts broke for her. The sweet mama dog had been abandoned after she gave birth to a large litter of puppies — 12, to be exact. That was evidently more than the dog’s former family cared to deal with.

So they’d done the unthinkable.

“I was contacted by a woman in Columbus who is a friend of my daughter,” Tanya Jonda, executive director of One of A Kind Pet Rescue, told The Dodo. “She took the mama and puppies in after she saw the post on Facebook by someone who claimed they were dumped on their property.”

Jonda knew it would be a huge undertaking, but she couldn’t say no to Violet and her huge brood, so she immediately agreed to take them all in.

When Violet arrived in the care of the rescue, she was incredibly thin, blind in one eye and covered in fleas. Even so, she was a terrific mom to all 12 of her puppies and seemed incredibly grateful to finally have some help in making sure they were all safe.

“They were incredibly healthy, which we attribute to Violet caring for them so well,” Jonda said. “We gave the puppies names that start with ‘V.’ For being such a large litter, they get along very well and always pile up together when sleeping. This may be due to their abandonment and need for comfort.”

Since being rescued, the puppies have been thriving and growing into healthy, energetic dogs. Six of the puppies have already been adopted, which just leaves half of the group — and their mom — still looking for homes.

“Violet is a lovely girl with a wonderful disposition,” Jonda said. “She loves all people and other dogs. She was a wonderful mother and is scheduled to receive her vetting the first week of May. She will then be available for adoption.”

Violet and her puppies had quite a rough start to life, but now they’re doing so well and can’t wait to be relaxing in their loving forever homes.