“[T]he whole gang appeared.”
Published on Aug 14, 2026 at 4:42 PM
The other day, while running an errand between two towns in Brazil, Edsania Tavares noticed something that made her stop her car. Along a forested stretch of road, barely visible among the foliage, Tavares saw two little black puppies.
She decided to stop — but there was more going on than she realized.
As she approached the two dogs she had initially seen, seven others emerged from the woods, eagerly seeking her help.
Tavares had just walked into the cutest ambush.
@rede_do_bem_cocal_do_sul Pensa num susto kkkk #resgateanimal#adote @Geninho França ♬ original sound – Raw Sound Lab
Seeing the nine puppies all alone in that remote spot, Tavares was devastated.
“I panicked because there were two of them. Then, out of nowhere, the whole gang appeared,” Tavares told The Dodo. “I cried so much. It was faith that made our paths cross.”
Tavares, a former business owner who now operates Instituto Rede do Bem Cocal do Sul, a refuge for unwanted and abandoned pets, knew she had to help.
“I could never have left them behind,” Tavares said. “I always give it my all.”
@rede_do_bem_cocal_do_sul Foram 3 horas para conseguir resgatar todos! Precisei ir buscar o funcionário do abrigo para podermos aos poucos ganhar a confiança deles! Procuramos a mãe mas não encontramos! #resgate#adocaodeanimais♬ Stealthy mischief(1088178) – KBYS
Tavares learned from someone who lives nearby that the puppies had appeared at the spot two days earlier.
She decided to bring the puppies home with her.
“I just picked them up,” Tavares said.
Just in case the puppies’ mother had been abandoned too, Tavares returned later to search for her. But after hours of looking, she was nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, thanks to that chance encounter, the puppies, at least, are now safe and adjusting to life among the other rescue dogs at her refuge.
Para quem não conhece meu trabalho,sou fundadora e presidente do instituto rede do bem de Cocal do Sul! Temos um espaço com 164 animais resgatados atualmente! Na real nem poderiamos acolher estes anjos ,pq ja estamos lotados! Mas improvisamos um cantinho e tudo certo!♬ Married Life – Gina Luciani
It may never be known exactly how the puppies came to be alone in the middle of nowhere, but one thing is certain — they’ll never be without love again.
In time, Tavares plans to find new homes for the little dogs she found that day. And they’ll be welcome under her care until then.
“The goal is to give animals the lives they deserve,” Tavares said.