The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Putting Neighbor's Newspaper on the Porch

I was getting in my car about six months ago and I saw our neighbor struggling to get his newspaper from his driveway. He has a deformed back and cannot walk without difficulty. The next morning I decided to put his newspaper on his porch so he wouldn't have to go so far to retrieve it. Then the next thing I knew my husband started doing this routine for me, without even asking me! Together we've been doing this for six months now and our neighbor is really grateful.

[kuhio98]

A Second Chance

The Prison Tails program matches unadoptable dogs with convicted criminals. Meet one graduate who became a hero.
Sara Conroy was looking to adopt a big, active dog -- one that would run five miles a day with her and be gentle and friendly with her kids. But when the Granger, Indiana, substitute teacher saw a cute candidate on petfinder.com, she didn't expect she'd be springing him from a state prison. Kosmo, a Siberian husky mix, had just graduated from Prison Tails, a program where convicts train rescue dogs that have been deemed unadoptable. Kosmo had wound up with that label because he was big, untrained, and a mutt, a bad combo for would-be adoptive families. The overcrowded shelter he'd been in had given him a death sentence -- but Kosmo got a reprieve from a rescue organization called Mixed Up Mutts, which shipped him off to the local penitentiary to learn some manners.

The founders of Mixed Up Mutts, Sarah Stevens, a nurse, and her husband, Cris, a firefighter, created Prison Tails back in 2004, when they realized that some of their rescued dogs were being returned due to behavior problems. They needed to figure out a way to train the animals before placing them with families. But who would whip them into shape? Then they happened to see a TV show that featured a prison-based dog-training program. "We've got prisons right in our area," Sarah said. "I don't know why we couldn't do that." So the group approached the nearby Westville Correctional Facility, in Westville, Indiana, and Prison Tails was born.

Out of the approximately 3,400 inmates at Westville, only 32 make the cut to become dog handlers. Candidates are drawn from the medium- and minimum-security populations and must have a high school diploma or equivalent, good prison conduct, and no background of domestic violence or sexual offenses. Once accepted, handlers have to complete rigorous homework on dog training, write reports, make presentations, and give their dog 15 to 20 minutes of training three to five times a day. On off-hours they are responsible for grooming and feeding the dogs, who live with them. At the end of four to six weeks, the animals must pass an American Kennel Club obedience test and then learn additional etiquette. Handlers get paid $1.25 a day and the program has been very popular, prison officials say.

"Some of these guys have been in here for 20 or 30 years and haven't touched a dog since they arrived," says Sharon Hawk, a prison director who oversees Prison Tails. "Now they live with their 'own' dog who gives them unconditional love and makes them feel productive. Having the animals around also helps improve morale."

The program is more than just a mood booster, though -- it teaches inmates a trade. After they've successfully completed the program, participants become certified animal trainers through the Department of Labor. When they're released from prison they can get jobs in pet stores, veterinary clinics, or doggie daycare centers. "It's exciting to see a dog that's been deemed unadoptable or untrainable become a productive member of society, along with the offender," says Prison Tails program director Regan Dietz, who, with Cris Stevens, teaches the prisoners how to train the animals. "We're giving both the dogs and the handlers a second chance."

Kosmo was three weeks out of Westville when, just after midnight, his new owner, Conroy, 39, woke up to hear him growling. Kosmo sprang from where he'd been sleeping beside her bed and raced into the kitchen. Alone in the house with her 8-year-old daughter, Emilia, and 21-year-old stepdaughter, Amy -- her husband, Tim, was on a business trip -- Conroy had a flash of fear. But the big dog returned to the bedroom shortly afterward and all was quiet. Conroy assumed it had just been Amy grabbing a late-night snack, and she went back to sleep.

In fact, Kosmo had chased off a burglar. When Conroy entered the kitchen the next morning, she noticed that the sliding glass door was open. Her wedding and engagement rings, which she'd taken off and left on the counter while cooking dinner, were both gone. "I don't want to think what could have happened if the burglar had gotten further than the kitchen," Conroy says. "Emilia and I were on the first floor. Without a doubt, Kosmo saved us."

Conroy admits she was uneasy at first when she discovered her potential adoptive dog was being trained at Westville. "I had never been to a prison and there were maximum-security prisoners there. I didn't know what to expect." What she found was love at first sight, she says -- and, as it turns out, peace of mind. In the end, she realized that she really appreciated the fact that Kosmo had been trained by an inmate. "I like that he was being taught by someone who really needed to learn about love and trust," Conroy says. "Kosmo is an irreplaceable part of our family, and it makes me feel good to know that his training was a positive experience for everyone involved."

[recycler]

Putting Neighbor's Newspaper on the Porch

I was getting in my car about six months ago and I saw our neighbor struggling to get his newspaper from his driveway. He has a deformed back and cannot walk without difficulty. The next morning I decided to put his newspaper on his porch so he wouldn't have to go so far to retrieve it. Then the next thing I knew my husband started doing this routine for me, without even asking me! Together we've been doing this for six months now and our neighbor is really grateful.

How great of you! I bet he is very happy to have you as neighbors!

[kuhio98]

How great of you! I bet he is very happy to have you as neighbors!

Thank you, but please understand all of these stories are not about me. I'm not bragging about what a nice person I am
I'm collecting happy, positive stories out of the news and off the internet and just sharing them here. If the article includes the name of the person who posted it, I include it. But, most of the time, the originator is not referenced.

I'm hoping these give us all ideas of how we can help others in small or large ways. It takes so little to make a difference in a life -- whether it be a person or a pet.

[kuhio98]

Recently I was laid up for several days with the flu. I'm a working mother of four kids who doesn't have time to blink, let alone nap. After hearing that I wasn't feeling well, my neighbor came over and completely cleaned my house! She also did my laundry, made dinner for my family, and even baked peanut butter cookies for my kids. The fact that she found the energy (and the heart) to help me was really lovely.
-- Jodi, Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

[robinh]

I really appreciate the fact that you post these stories. They make me smile knowing there are people out there still being "nice" to one another.

[kuhio98]

Comfort Dogs Help Those Grieving in Boston



As Boston struggles to recover from the bombing that occurred during the city's marathon on Monday, a group of furry friends is lending a paw to help with the healing process.

Comfort dogs trained by the Lutheran Church Charities have been deployed to the Massachusetts city to aid those affected by the tragedy. Three golden retrievers were flown in from the group's home base in Addison, Ill., to join two more retrievers who were already on the East Coast following the December shooting in Newtown, Conn.

"People talk to the dogs – they're like furry counselors," Tim Hetzner, president of Lutheran Church Charities, told TODAY.com. "It's a chance to help bring some relief to people that are shaken up because of the bombings." The pooches are set to remain in Boston through the end of the week, with plans to visit the area's hospitals, as well.

Each of the organization's 67 retrievers has undergone almost a year of service training, beginning at 6 weeks of age.

"They bring a calming effect to people," Hetzner added, "and help them process the various emotions that they go through in times like this."

[kuhio98]

Police Officer's Act of Kindness Makes Little Girl's Day



The world can always use more heroes. And in Oxnard, Calif., no one deserves that title this week quite like Officer Michael Kohr.

Responding to a report of child's stolen bike on Monday, Officer Kohr went above and beyond the call of duty – not just by lending a hand but by fixing the problem then and there for Nina Sanchez and her daughter Bella.

"On my way to take my daughter Bella on a bike ride, to our dismay we realized her cherished Minnie Mouse bike that Santa brought her had been stolen, along with our jogging stroller. To say we were heartbroken is an understatement," Sanchez wrote in a Facebook post that has gone viral.

"Through many tears and reassuring hugs I managed to call in a police report. This afternoon I received a call from Officer Kohr that he was on his way with a brand new Princess bike."

The policeman not only delivered the new bike but taught Bella how to ride it, added Sanchez, giving mom and daughter both a thrill.

"I can not fully express how grateful I am," Sanchez wrote. "He has left such an impression in our hearts, and am thoroughly impressed with his generosity. Thank you once again Officer Kohr."

The post has been liked almost half a million times, and the Oxnard Police Department is among those who are extremely proud of Officer Kohr's actions.

"We don't get emails/messages like this directly from community members often," the department wrote in reply to the photo Sanchez posted. "Thank you, Nina Sanchez for sharing! And, thank you Officer Michael Kohr for taking exceptional service to heart and going above and beyond!"