The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Dogs saved from Sochi streets arrive in Washington for adoption

Ten loveable mutts rescued from the streets of Sochi, Russia, arrived in the United States for adoption Thursday, the result of an international outcry over the plight of stray dogs in the 2014 Winter Olympics host city, organizers said.

Sochi animal rescue organizations began bringing in dogs from the streets after reports that they were getting rounded up and poisoned circulated around the Games. At the time, American skier Gus Kenworthy, an Olympic silver medalist, made headlines when he pledged to bring four street dogs back to the United States after the Games. Humane Society International worked both on Kenworthy's project and bringing these 10 dogs to the United States.

"These 10 are representative of some of the dogs that have been removed from the streets and are now up for adoption in Sochi," said Kelly O'Meara, director of HSI companion animals and engagement. "They're the sweetest, most interactive, very friendly dogs, very adoptable that just happen to be unfortunate enough to be living on the street."

The group worked with PovoDog Animal Shelter in Sochi and two other organizations to arrange vaccination, documentation and travel for the dogs, who then spent two days in transit.

"These dogs have had a tremendous journey. It's been almost two days of travel for them. They went from Sochi to Moscow, had a long layover in Moscow, and then the flight to Dulles airport today," O'Meara said. "And as you can tell, they have to be pretty chill to handle it like this. And they did. They all did remarkably well."

The dogs will be housed for the time being in the Washington Animal Rescue League facilities in the nation's capital. Bob Ramin, CEO of the animal league, said the next few days are all about comfort for the animals.

"These animals are seeing a lot of new things and experiencing a lot of new things, so they're kind of stressed out," Ramin said. "We want to make sure they know they're in a safe place so we've got our staff working with them one on one."

Each dog will get a medical evaluation. If all goes well, the dogs could be available for adoption within weeks.

"In the next couple of days, we'll start socializing them, taking them out on walks with other dogs, and really just treating them like other dogs so they can have that socialization and feel safe," Ramin said.

Organizers say that they expect a great deal of interest in these dogs because the public outcry before, during and after the Games. More dogs are expected to arrive in the United States for adoption in the coming days.

[kuhio98]

Woman with Down Syndrome Fights for Her Freedom – and Wins

Jenny Hatch wasn't trying to be a hero.

She just wanted to live with the family she loved.

But while the 29-year-old woman with Down Syndrome was fighting for the right to make her own decisions about where to live and whom to live with, she also created a path for others with disabilities to follow.

Last August, Hatch won a yearlong court battle in which she challenged her biological parents' right to keep her in a group home, making her a celebrity in the disability world.
Love and Kindness
A court awarded temporary guardianship to Hatch's close friends Jim Talbert, 54, and Kelly Morris, 45, who own the thrift shop where she's worked for the past six years.

"I love them very much," says Hatch, of Hampton, Va. "I know that they love me, too. They make my life very happy."

Sara Gelser, board member of the National Council on Disability, says, "Jenny pushed back and won when her basic rights were threatened."

"The ruling should give youth and adults with disabilities the inspiration to know they are the captains of their lives," Gelser says. "They do not have to accept guardianships, and they can choose the future they want for themselves."

Hatch says she was just following her heart, while Talbert and Morris say she captured theirs.

"Jenny has so much love and kindness around her," says Talbert. "Kelly and I both have a love and fondness for her."

It started in March 2012 when Hatch was injured in a bicycle accident and hospitalized for several days. She had been living with a family friend but the friend was losing her apartment so Hatch had nowhere to go.
Finding a Home
Her parents wanted to put her into a group home (Hatch has a good relationship with her father but not her mother). Morris and Talbert offered to take her in.

"I was so happy when they said, 'You can come and stay with us,' " she says, crying at the memory. "It made me feel so good inside."

She was also looking forward to spending more time with Morris's 15-year-old daughter, Jordan, who has cerebral palsy.

Each night, Hatch would lay out the teen's pajamas and brush her hair.

"I like to help Jordan," she says. "I love her so much."

But after five months, the court put Hatch in a temporary guardianship with her parents. She bounced between four different group homes over the course of the next year.

"We thought she'd be safe there," says Jenny's father, Richard Hatch, 53, who lives in North Carolina (Jenny's mother declined comment).

Since her win last August, she's been happily ensconced in Morris and Talbert's home when she's not traveling the country speaking at conferences about her experience.

Hatch has also formed The Jenny Hatch Justice Project, which advocates for others with disabilities.

"Every day I thank God I am not in the group home," she says. "I am so happy to be home. I don’t want to live anywhere except with Jim and Kelly."

[kuhio98]

TEACHING SOCCER, FEEDING FAMILIES

Gabriel Whaley, 21 Midland, N.C.

When Gabriel Whaley was 10, his parents struggled to pay for soccer camp, so he borrowed his dad's socks, found discounted gear-and showed such hustle he won the camp's spirit award. That same drive inspired the University of North Carolina senior to help struggling families on and off the field by offering free soccer instruction to kids ages 5 to 15 in exchange for donations of nonperishable canned goods. Since 2006 his Kicking4Hunger program has scored big time.

GABE'S SCOREBOARD

• 16,825 lbs. donated food

• 1,200 kids coached

• 40 Gabe's weekly camp work hours

• 2 Mohawks given to camp directors (when a camp raises more than 2,000 lbs. of food) kicking4hunger.org

[Catty1]

A Pizza Delivery Guy Was Sure These Were The Rudest Customers. Then The Next Day, THIS Arrived.

March 30, 2014 Stories

There are so many occupations and services in this world that people take for granted. Delivery people are just one of them. Remembering to tip the people who deliver your food is important, it directly affects how much they make. So when delivery people get slighted, it’s a big deal.
The other night, this Reddit user delivered a pizza. The total was $22.67 and the couple receiving it gave him $23.00 and told him to keep the change. Less than a dollar on nearly a $25.00 bill is an abysmal tip. But then something awesome happened.
They dropped this card off the next day.

Drewbacca


And although there wasn’t a cupcake inside, there was an equally awesome note.

Drewbacca




You know the couple who brought this note in the next day wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night, knowing that they didn’t leave a tip. What a wonderful reminder that there are great people out there in the world.
Source: Reddit

[kuhio98]

Boy Receives New Service Dog Thanks To Community Help

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) Its been 1 year since Shawnee Heights Elementary student, 11-year-old Alex White's service dog, "Hope", was hit by a car and killed.

"I'm still wishing it never happened. I'm still having a few flashbacks sometimes. Its still been hard to not have a dog helping me," says Alex.

"There are times he wanted to be dead just with Hope because he felt so bad about it," said Alex's mother, Mari White.

Alex has hereditary spastic paraplegia, an inherited disease that causes progressive weakness to his lower limbs. Last year, Alex's classmate, Saige Halseth, started a fundraising campaign for Alex to get a new service dog. With the community's help, she raised $33,000.

"We are so thankful to the community," says Mari.

"He's just my friend and I wanted to help him because I know he would need it for the future," said Saige back in March 2013.

After one long year of looking for a dog with a personality that meshes with Alex, the Kansas Specialty Dog Service introduced Alex to his new service dog, Redondo.

"So far, he is really helpful. I have someone who can help me when I need it," says Alex, smiling.

"And they have really hit it off! It is a great personality match," says Mari.

"I was shocked to see how well they match. They just go together so well. We're pretty ecstatic," says Alex's father, Ray White.

From here on out, Alex looks forward to laughs and smiles with his new best friend.

"So we can have happy times now. He is pretty much apart of the family," Alex laughs as he pets Redondo.

Alex will bring Redondo to school Monday for the first time.

The White family has used the money raised towards starting a "Hope Scholarship Fund" to help other children battling hereditary spastic paraplegia with their expenses for specialty dogs.

......

[kuhio98]

The Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania has had dozens of kids in attendance each week to read to adoptable cats. It's a great way for the kids to improve their reading skills while providing comfort to cats awaiting a loving home.

The Reading Buddies Program has been a big success for both the kids and cats. The children find the cats non-threatening and a supportive audience, while the cats enjoy human interaction and the rhythmic, soothing sound of a child's voice.

The program has strengthened the bond the shelter has with the community and introduced new families to the shelter. This has lead to many more adoptions.

Not only do the kids love it, but it gives the cats socialization and play time they love, and increases their chances for adoption.

Well done ARL of Berks County - and all the kids in the Reading Buddies Program!

[phesina]

What a great idea, and what a great program! That's wonderful.

Well done, Animal Rescue League of Berks County!