Dogs are commonly recognized as man’s best friend, but this touching anecdote demonstrates that dogs also look out for one another.

When a German dog named Marley was (probably) injured by a car in Muscoy, California, her best companion, Murphy, would not leave her side. The couple waited for hours as traffic zipped by, with not a single car stopping to assist. After several hours, a vehicle pulled over to check on the injured animals and immediately phoned Dream Fetchers: Project Rescue.

“We received a message she was lying on the side of the road,” Faith Easdale, one of the non-profit organization’s rescuers, told The Dodo. “Marley was in great distress and pain, and he was breathing heavily.” We didn’t even know if she was going to make it.”

Murphy stood guard as Easdale and another rescuer helped the injured dog into the car. When the bigger dog was securely inside, Murphy cuddled up behind Marley on the back seat, placing his head on her belly.

“She was very heavy and difficult to move,” Easdale recalled. “Murphy wouldn’t leave her side on the street.”

As rescuers rushed to the hospital, Murphy continued to console Marley. X-rays proved that the German Shepard had actually broken many bones. However, testing revealed a second, more startling discovery. Marley was expecting 11 puppies when she became pregnant.

Murphy waited by Marley’s side for several days, only relaxing when he realized the pregnant dog was finally secure. “He was able to be with her in the hospital, but she was so critical that he wanted to go run and play,” explained Easdale, who later helped Murphy find his forever home.

Meanwhile, Marley’s delivery was not without suffering, but the damaged mother managed to give birth to 11 healthy puppies, which she tenderly snuggled and fed despite having casts on two of her legs.

Marley has entirely recovered from her injuries after two years and numerous veterinary appointments, and her puppies are now fully grown and in their own homes. “Marley is just as sweet and beautiful today as she was the day we brought her home,” her adoptive family said on Facebook. “She plays as if she’s never broken a bone.”

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