It takes a dog with a big heart to raise puppies she didn’t give birth to. If you’ve never met such a dog, allow us to introduce you to Athena, a rescue dog who’s left the internet moved to tears for mothering a litter of six puppies who recently lost their mother.

What’s even more touching and inspiring about Athena’s selfless actions is that she’s never had her own litter. Athena doesn’t know how it feels to carry a pregnancy or give birth. Yet, she executes the motherhood role so perfectly, you’d think she has previous experience.

@mythologicaldogs

I’ll just never get over how well she’s done with them. We knew they’d need a dog to step in to help them learn and socialize, but she did so much more than we expected. I never imagined she’d be happy to handle all 6 at once & remain calm, patient, & gentle but she’s absolutely amazed us. Our sweet girl 🥹 I’m so happy she got to be a stand in mom. #fosterdogs #dogtok #rescuedog #puppylove #dogmom

♬ Bundle of Joy (From “Inside Out”) – Piano Version – Clavier & your movie soundtrack

As captured in a heartwarming TikTok video posted by Athena’s owner @mythologicaldogs, Athena is doing an exceptional job giving these orphaned foster puppies the one thing they desperately crave: motherly love. Athena was instantly drawn to these puppies from the very first day she was introduced to them. Since then, she’s been their protector, nurturer, comforter, and source of around-the-clock unconditional love.

She does all this without hesitation or doubts, just unwavering devotion.

Athena is always the first to respond to their high-pitched whimpers before any human shows up. She is always right beside them when they tumble as they learn to walk, and nudges them so gently as though she’d done this before. Athena cleans them up with the dedication of a dog who’s overflowing with maternal wisdom. And somehow, she often seems to know which specific puppy needs some extra TLC.

Let’s not even get started on how gentle and tender Athena is when she’s playing with these lovely babies. She’s never impatient, never irritated, never rough — just completely attuned with their innocence and fragility.

And these six puppies?

They adore Athena right back with the same intensity. It’s in the way they all run to her with pure joy, the way they all fight to climb on top of her for extra closeness, and how they playfully shove their little heads into her mouth like it’s a silly “dental check-up” game. It’s obvious that these pups feel safe with Athena, and to them, she is their everything.

While they may have lost their biological mama, these adorable babies will never experience the hollow absence of motherly love, all thanks to Athena, who wholeheartedly stepped in for their sake.

Watching Athena transform into a devoted parent despite not having any motherhood experience has melted hearts on the internet. It’s no surprise that the beautiful clip has attracted several heartfelt comments.

“This is insanely precious,” one person commented.

“Her soul knew those babies needed her, and what a blessing,” another added.

“I love this for the puppies. Unconditional love from Athena. The dental check up is sweet,” a third person wrote.