A South Florida woman named Lorrie was taking her big akita for a walk when she heard something strange. They were in a park, so she took her 10 year-old ex-guard dog to investigate.

Lily the dog went into the bushes and came back out with an itty bitty surprise. She had a tiny 2 week-old kitten in her mouth, and deposited it at her owner’s feet. It’s common for people to abandon animals in those woods, so Lorrie took the kitten home.

She was so young, a shelter couldn’t accept her. That’s when Lorrie decided to raise her a bit herself… and things got adorable.

Lily instinctively wanted to protect the abandoned little kitty.

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The big dog would oversee when Lorrie would hand-feed the kitten, to make sure she did it right.

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The two never wanted to be separated, but Lorrie was sure to keep an eye on them. Lily was so big she could accidentally hurt the kitten.

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The akita’s bond with the kitten was so touching. Lily didn’t want to let her out of her sight.

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In a month’s time, they may have a new family member, instead of taking the kitten back to the shelter to be adopted.

(H/T Daily Mail / Viralnova )

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It’s hard to handle just how cute this is. This kitten’s story could have had a tragic ending. Thanks to Lily and Lorrie, she’ll have a loving home and a longtime best friend in the big, gruff dog. Share their touching bond with others.