Empathy has been evolved in animal communities who collectively care about the offsprings. It is an evolutionary strategy to make communities possible. It is protection for offsprings from being murdered and eaten as it happens among reptiles, fishes, etc. It is a weak bond though.
What they need a decade-long quest for, except funding?
And, obviously, higher animals do have at least some cross-species empathy toward pups. Any villagers who had cat and dog pups will tell you that.
The sexual attraction and parent-offspring bonds, including affection towards young, are the strongest evolutionary forces.