Phoenix, Arizona - Could these be the puppies this dog had been missing? The Maricopa County Animal Care & Control dared to introduce the rescued babies to the mama dog in their care, and the risk paid off in sweetness!

The Maricopa County Animal Care & Control shelter's now-viral Instagram video shows a dejected dog named Demi lying on a blanket.

"She was laying down on the floor, heavily lactating, so she was probably in some pain," Kim Powell, the shelter's communications manager, told The Dodo.

This mama was found in bad shape and without her puppies. The shelter team got the dog the care she needed, but without her babies, she was depressed.

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Five days later, two puppies that looked just like Demi were found in the same area.

This prompted shelter workers to see if the foundlings might belong together.

The sweet video shows one of the pups being given to its potential mother, and as if in a desperate greeting, Demi yelps. The rescuers' risk paid off!

The two shelter workers who introduced the rescue dog to the puppies were immediately convinced: these animals belong together.

Within seconds, the puppies were drinking milk from the mama.

"The mom was just whimpering and crying the second she saw the puppies," Powell said.

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It was as if all three dogs finally had relief.

"It’s just one of those maternal instinct things that's amazing to witness," Powell added.

The sweet reunion didn't just pull on the rescue team's heartstrings: the video boasts a shocking 4.6 million views and more than 300,000 likes on Instagram!

"We were very lucky that we could reunite her with her puppies," Powell gushed. "Demi seems very happy to have her babies back."