Mother Dog Takes In Orphaned Kittens After Losing Her Puppies

A mother dog in Phoenix now has three kittens to call her own after losing her own litter.

Georgia had a sad start before she was found by the Sunshine Dog Rescue earlier in August. The Australian shepherd mix was found outside a gas station near the U.S.-Mexico border. She was pregnant, but her puppies were born premature and did not survive.

Georgia was distraught about losing her litter and would tear up her bed looking for her babies, according to the rescue's Facebook page. Anita Osa, the rescue's executive director, tried to find a way to help Georgia. Some people recommended pairing the dog with orphaned puppies, but a trio of kittens abandoned by their mother ended up being the perfect match.

“I was certainly unsure, but I had seen other species nurse another species before, so I thought worse case scenario she doesn’t take to them and I have some kittens I need to tend to myself," Osa told CBS News.

Georgia was still producing milk from her pregnancy so she's able to care for the kittens like they're her own children.

"They do nurse on her. She cleans them and everything, but the bond is strong. It's really something to see," Osa told ABC 15. "She protects those kittens just as if they were her babies."

Osa also said that she doesn't think that the kittens even know Georgia is a dog.

Georgia and the kittens already have forever families waiting for them, but the rescue is chronicling the mixed species family on their Facebook page.

Photo: Getty Images