Last month, Don Boston, founder of Abilene Stray Animal Program, was out looking for an abandoned husky when he stumbled upon someone unexpected. He saw a dog wandering around all by herself on the side of a dirt road, looking hungry.

Boston gave the dog some food while he tried to figure out who she was and where she’d come from. Once she’d eaten her fill and started walking away, Boston followed her around the corner — and saw her puppies behind a fence in someone’s yard.

Boston could immediately tell that the yard was no place for dogs. There were sharp pieces of metal everywhere and no food anywhere in sight. Upon closer inspection, he saw that several of the dogs had flystrike on their ears.

“They are hungry,” Boston said in a Facebook video. “Hungry, hungry, hungry.”

The mama dog and two of her puppies had escaped through a hole in the fence. Seeing how neglected they all were, all Boston wanted to do was take the whole family home with him. But he knew he had to talk to the property owner first.

“[I]t broke my heart, honestly,” Boston told The Dodo.

Boston learned from the owner that the dogs had originally belonged to his brother, who’d passed away. Since taking in the mama dog, she’d had multiple litters of puppies. Boston knew he couldn’t let that cycle continue.

“I was like, ‘I have to help these guys,’” Boston said.

Boston was able to convince the property owner to rehome the puppies. Now that they’re with their new families, the puppies have a safe home environment, where they have access to the fresh water and food they need to grow big and strong.

As for the mama dog, Boston talked her owner into letting him get her spayed. At the very least, he wanted to put a stop to her having any more puppies in that environment.

While Boston was preparing to take the mama to get spayed, he got a call from animal control that she’d been picked up by one of their officers after escaping through the fence again. They’d contacted her owner and never heard back, which meant Boston was allowed to foster her.

As soon as the mama dog is cleared, Boston will be taking her home with him and helping her find a forever family. After everything she’s been through, Boston is looking forward to making her as comfortable and happy as possible.

“We’re [going to] try to give her a happy life,” Boston said.