It’s always heartwarming to hear stories of people going out of their way to help animals when they’re in need.

When one cyclist found a group of five puppies who had been abandoned and left for dead, he went above and beyond to help them, giving them a ride and helping to find homes.

Thyago Costa Silva, a professional cyclist from Brazil, was out training with friends. But a shocking, saddening sight in the middle of nowhere led them to change course.

The cyclists found five puppies, buried in a hole: “Someone dug the hole and left them there to die,” Tyago told The Dodo. “They were weak and couldn’t escape.”

The cyclists were shocked and saddened by the sight, and couldn’t believe that anyone would do something so cruel to the tiny puppies.

They knew they had to help. After pulling over, they gave them food and water. A video posted on Tyago’s Instagram account shows him giving water from his bottle to the very thirsty pups.

“They just wanted to survive,” he said.

After providing them with water, the cyclists went even further, putting the puppies in their shirts and biking 12 miles to get them to help.