There's nothing like a bunch of puppies to melt the hardest of hearts, even in the Big Apple. Celebrated on March 23, National Puppy Day took a fetching turn with Canine Companions, a national nonprofit, who provided a free dose of adorable with a live stream of seven-week-old furballs destined to become service dogs.

The puppy cam offered a glimpse into the earliest stage of life for these future helpers – and, according to KOMO News, it's just the start. "All of the puppies start in the homes of incredible volunteer puppy raisers who take the puppies when they are about eight weeks old until they are about a year and a half. They socialize and train the puppies, then the pups go to our training center where they learn more commands to hopefully help someone with a disability live more independently," Michelle Williams, Canine Companions Public Relations and Marketing Specialist, told them.

Indeed, this isn't just a momentary burst of puppy love. Canine Companions is in the business of serious matchmaking, pairing their expertly trained service dogs with adults, children, and veterans with disabilities - all at no cost to those lucky enough to receive one of these canine helpers.

So while onlookers got to joyfully sneak a peek at puppies playfully wrestling or blissfully napping, they were also getting a front-row seat to watch potential independence on four legs getting ready to blossom. And remember, these cuddly critters aren't just here to show off their cuteness—they're training to quickly become an essential partner in someone's life. "They socialize and train the puppies, then the pups go to our training center where they learn more commands to hopefully help someone with a disability live more independently," Williams explained in the KOMO News interview.

But let's not forget the army of volunteer puppy raisers who sign up to to lovingly raise these pups into the four-legged heroes they're destined to become - truly the unsung heroes in this tale of tails.