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Church Installs 6 Colorful Micro Homes in First Nashville Village for Homeless

Tiny houses Facebook Dwayne A Jones

Six brightly painted “micro houses” now populate the first Micro-home Village in Nashville, thanks to a church community’s relentless leader.

The shelters are only 60 square feet, but they are warm, wired for electricity, and a big step up from the tents where these Tennessee homeless folks lived.

Reverend Jeff Carr moved into the first micro home and vowed to stay there until they raised $50,000 for the project. He was there for 45 days.

RELATED: By Putting Housing First, Utah Reduces Homeless Population by 91%

The idea was born while Rev. Carr and one his college fraternity brothers were doing missionary work in Haiti. Dwayne Jones, who owns a construction company, was building houses and schools on the mission trips and wanted to be of service back home.

The money raised paid for the first six houses, and an electrical generator to power heating and cooling units, mini-fridges, and microwave ovens. They were set up August 21, on a lot owned by the Green Street Church of Christ, where homeless folks had been allowed to camp.

MORE Progress: Old City Buses Get New Life as Homeless Shelters in Hawaii

During the dedication ceremony, Roger McGue, one of the homes’ new residents, literally jumped for joy at his new digs.

Pointing first at the tents in the field, he said, “People are living in them… and now they get to stay in those.”

Carr, who leads the Infinity Fellowship in Nashville, wants to build more of the micro houses in Nashville, and Jones has started a GoFundMe page to begin a similar project in Memphis. He’s hoping to raise $75,000 for even larger micro houses there.

SUCCESS: Once Homeless She’s Now the Boss of Her Own Construction Business

“Each unit will have energy efficient windows, laminate flooring, bed, mini fridge, microwave, range, toilet, kitchen sink, and access to electricity,” he wrote on the new crowdfunding page.

(WATCH the video below and READ more at The Tennessean) — Photo: Dwayne Jones, Facebook

 

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‘Dancing Doctor’ in Boston Busks a Move to Raise Tips for Charity (WATCH)

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news!
Why are you dancing on the streets in your surgical blues?

Dancing Doctor rose DoctorBeDancing FacebookThe “Dancing Doctor” keeps a collection box front and center, just like any other street performer, but it’s not because his residency pay is so bad that he has to busk for his dinner.

Adnan Khera collects donations—about $6,000 so far—to give to charity, through his organization, DoctorBeDancing.

Since May, the anesthesiology resident from Tufts Medical Center, in Boston, has been popping up all over the city, cranking up the tunes on his beatbox, and getting down with his bad self.

Plenty of folks ask him why he does it.

“One of the missions of this project is to show the value of individuality inside of medicine,” Khera told TODAY. “What I do on the streets allows me to communicate with the population at large, whereas I feel like normally in medicine, we have trouble communicating with patients.”grandpa-dances-without-cane-YouTube

Grandpa Surprises Everyone With Age-Defying Dance Moves (WATCH)

Another reason: Khera misses show business. Several years ago, he performed as a stand-up comedian and public speaker.

In his new life of service, he came up with a way to combine both worlds and hopes to top $10,000 in donations by October.

(READ more at TODAY and WATCH video below)

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Homeless Man Turns Life Around, Gives Book Reviews Instead of Begging

Pavement Bookworm screenshot CCTV

Called the “Pavement Bookworm”, he may look like a roadside panhandler, but this once homeless man is actually running a reading foundation that has now been recognized by South Africa’s president.

Philani Dladla credits his love of books, specifically motivational ones, with breaking his drug habit.

Now that he’s clean, he has dedicated his life to being of service to others.

Today, he can be found selling used books to passing motorists—but only after he’s read them first. That way, he can give passersby a book review and set the price accordingly; from a dollar for books he doesn’t like, to six dollars for real page-turners.Chicken lady screenshot WGHP

“Chicken Lady” Found Courage To Ask For Leftovers Years Ago, is Still Feeding Homeless

While still homeless himself, Dladla began using the money to buy other homeless people soup and bread every day.

“Seeing their smiles motivated me to keep using the little I had to spread happiness,” Dladla said. “From that point on, I knew I never wanted to go back to being a drug addict.”

No longer homeless, he still feeds those on the streets, and even started a “Pavement Bookworm” Book Readers’ Club in a local park where kids can hang out and read until their parents come home from work.

Homeless Piano Player Stuns Viewers; Video Lands Him an Audition (WATCH)

He has also set up a website where people in Johannesburg, South Africa can donate books or support a child in the reading club.

(WATCH the CCTV News video) — Photo: CCTV video — Story tip from Joel Arellano

 

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Study Shines New Light on Preventing Multiple Sclerosis

sunlight ocean CC Kamil Porembiński

A ray of hope in preventing multiple sclerosis (MS) may come in the form of actual rays of sunshine.

Canadian researchers have found that a lack of vitamin D may be a direct cause for the disease — and most vitamin D comes from a chemical reaction caused when sunlight falls on the skin.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, studied DNA samples of 33,996 people, and found those with MS showed common characteristics of vitamin D deficiency.Cystic fibrosis released Imperial College London

Cystic Fibrosis Hope Comes as New Gene Therapy Improves Condition

The scientists said their study showed “strong evidence in support of a causal role of vitamin D in MS susceptibility.”

MS is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulation around nerves. The nervous system breaks down, sometimes quite quickly, leading to paralysis.

People with MS routinely show a vitamin D deficiency, but this study is the first to show that there is evidence it is the cause of the disease and not a side effect.ice bucket challenge CC Knox County Government

Ice Bucket Challenge Leads to ALS Breakthrough, Researchers Announce

The researchers point out that the rates of MS increase in the higher latitudes which get less sunlight and where more people have a vitamin D deficiency as a result. They recommend people check with their doctor about taking proper levels of vitamin D supplements if there is a family history of MS.

“This is a common sense precaution, given that vitamin D supplementation is generally safe and inexpensive.” Dr. Brent Richards, who led the research at McGill University.brain_scans_CU_Tufts

French Firm Announces Multiple Sclerosis Drug Breakthrough

The study doesn’t suggest vitamin D can reverse MS, but opens the door into more research about the link between the two and a possible way to prevent people from developing the disease. It was published in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine.

(READ more at the Guardian) — Photo: Kamil Porembiński , CC

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Proof That Good Deeds CAN Lead: Good News Network Turns 18

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Who says no news is good news?

There’s plenty of good news in the world—and yes, it “sells.”

I knew that long before other news media outlets had a clue, and created a positive news website, before even the first blog was invented in 1997.

It all started with a single nagging thought I kept hearing in my head while working in TV news in Washington, DC in 1982, two months out of college.

“Where is all the good news?”

Journalism colleagues at companies like CNN kept telling me, “Good news doesn’t sell,” but I refused to believe it. I often cited successful media personalities or properties that made a name for themselves with an optimistic slant: Oprah’s Angel Network, Charles Kuralt, Readers Digest and Parade magazine.

Maybe because of their goading, I eventually made it my #1 goal to PROVE that good news sells.

After I left the media business to raise a family, the idea gnawed at me for years, like sand in an oyster. I remember the moment when our 5-year-old son was sitting in the kitchen while a gruesome Bosnia War expose started running on NPR radio. It was like a light switch flipped on for me.

It was early 1997 and the Internet was blossoming. I thought, ‘I can make a good news program on the Web,’ so I taught myself to code with html and launched a simple yellow website (photo here) on August 31. Good News Network was born.

During the sad days of 9/11, the scary Wall Street Crash of ’08, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our traffic skyrocketed. People were looking for hope, for good in the world, and I was at home in Virginia delivering it to them.

This week, Good News Network celebrates its 18th anniversary– and the pioneering site for “good news” media aggregation has definitely come of age. In 2015, with hundreds of original stories being filed each month and the means to hire a staff for the first time, we have hit our stride.

Traffic has grown organically, with friends telling friends, and we are now serving more than 2.4 million pages of good news every month.

Although our website is completely free, our loyal and appreciative fans have been contributing financially as Members – some even giving voluntary pledges up to $500, when they get nothing more than a few small gifts in return. This is the Public Broadcasting model at work, which shows, above all else, the brand loyalty of an engaged readership that values our Daily Dose of News to Enthuse.

It is the proof that good news sells.

I feel so much satisfaction when I read the testimonial emails describing how my newsfeed has changed people’s lives, eased depression, and provided hope to the near-hopeless.

With more than 16,000 good news stories cataloged so far, we are branching out to podcasting and radio soon, with video on the horizon.

We are always looking for success stories and sweet tales of humanity—so go on, tell us something good!

Bike Bells Are Ringing: Librarians Pedal Books to Kids In “Book Deserts”

Books on Bikes 2

Librarians around the U.S. have found a new way to peddle books to kids by literally pedaling the books on bikes.

Books on Bikes 3 screenshot NNPS-TVPublic libraries and schools across the U.S. have started “Books on Bikes” programs to take books to kids who can’t get to libraries. Sometimes it involves pedaling to “book deserts” — parts of town where there are no libraries — and other times it means going to community centers or events where kids hang out in the summer.

Seattle, Washington’s Books on Bikes program features bookcase trailers towed behind bicycles. Each trailer is equipped with Wi-Fi so librarians can register people for library cards and check out books on the spot.postman delivers books screenshot KSL

Mailman Sees Boy Reading Junk Mail for Lack of Books… He Has Books Now!

“You can walk up and walk away with an arm full of books,” Managing Librarian Jared Mills said.

The Seattle Public Library sends riders to public events to let people know about the program, and once checked out 75 books and enrolled 25 kids in a summer reading program during a single ride to a farmers’ market.

Books on Bikes 1 screenshot NNPS-TVThe Books on Bikes program at Newport News Public Schools in Virginia has handed out 1,000 books and 500 popsicles to kids this summer (pictured left). Teachers and volunteers ride around town on large tricycles carrying baskets full of books for summer reading.

Private school librarian Alicia Tapia started Bibliobicicleta in San Francisco, California to give away donated books. She’s routinely carried 100 books at a time on her regular Tuesday night rides since starting her donation program almost two years ago.

Tapia says kids are most likely to approach her for a book, but adults, “if they’re not too cool,” will check out her selections, too.

(WATCH the Newport News Public Schools video and READ more at Good) — Photos: NNPS-TV video

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Blind Couple Weds After Their Guide Dogs Fall in Love (UPDATE)

Guide Dogs for the Blind Association-wedding

On Throwback Thursday, we’re bringing you the story of how “Man’s best friend” turned to “man and wife.”

GNN first shared the story of Claire Johnson and Mark Gaffey — a blind couple from England who fell in love after their dogs did — back in 2012.

The pair met when their golden retrievers, Rodd and Venice, became inseparable during a two-week guide dog training course.

Play dates for the pups led to a whirlwind romance for the couple, who tied the knot with their dogs serving as ring-bearers in a wedding ceremony in March 2014.Alex-Deans-iAid-copright-Mike-Kovaliv-500px

Boy’s Amazing Gadget to Revolutionize The Way Blind People Get Around

 

The bride told The Mirror, “I have no doubt that our guide dogs brought us together and helped me find my true love. Much like our two guide dogs, we really are best friends and soul mates.”

It’s the sweetest possibly ending to a true “puppy love” story.

(WATCH the video below or READ more in the Daily Mail)  Photo Credit: The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

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Give Yourself Positive Reminders With Temporary Tattoos by Conscious Ink

inspiring-temporary-tattoo-2-Conscious-Ink-Tattoo

What positive messages would you like to focus on today?

Be kind? Be happy? Be the change you wish to see in the world?inspirational-tattoo-Conscious-Ink-Facebook

All these uplifting reminders can be inked on your body for any special occasion or to help you manifest positive intentions anytime, thanks to a new temporary tattoo company.

The founder of Conscious Ink, Frank Gjata, enthusiastically believes that each one of their inspiring tats has the power to change the world.

“It’s a dream list of positive words, inspiring quotes, healing affirmations and empowering invitations,” reads the Conscious Ink Manifestation Temporary Tattoos website. “Even at the most basic level, these messages can have a profound effect on us by simply reminding us of our intentions as we go about our day–not to mention, how they may impact those who are fortunate enough to get a glimpse of your provocative ink and its message.”

The company provides phrases to support you through specific situations–like breakups, recovery, grief, or pregnancy–or for creating a new reality of abundance, healing or self-love.

Want to add an ink mantra? No problem! Just place the tattoo face-down on your skin, press a wet towel against the paper for 30 seconds, concentrate on your positive intention, and presto!tattoo-stay-strong-project semicolon FB

Trending Tattoo Movement Is Symbol Of Hope For People With Mental Illness

On top of the tattoos’ aesthetically pleasing quality, each one is made with healthy, FDA-approved, non-toxic ingredients and can last up to 3-5 days.

Learn more at ConsciousInk.com or Buy on Amazon.com

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Olé! Another Mexican State Bans Traditional Bullfights

Bullfight CC Susana Aysanoa

A third Mexican state has ‘taken the bull by the horns’ and banned bullfighting.

As the spectacle sport continues to become increasingly unpopular, Coahuila joins Sonora and Guerrero in outlawing the practice.UCBerk_heart_chip-620x349

New Device to Cut Down Drug Testing in Animals: Heart-on-a-chip

As Governor Ruben Moreira signed the Animal Protection and Humane Treatment Act on Tuesday, he called bullfighting “torture” and said “nearly 100%” of people in his northern Mexican state oppose violence against animals.

A recent nationwide poll showed 73% of Mexican citizens support banning bullfights.

Anton Aguilar of Humane Society International called the Coahuila ban “a significant step forward” towards ending bullfights “once and for all in Mexico.”Leonardo-DiCaprio-foundation

DiCaprio Donates $15 Mil to Help Save the Planet and Animals On It

The Coahuila legislature was moved in part by a June report from the United Nations warning of harmful effects of bullfighting on children’s mental and emotional health.

(READ more at FOX News) — Photo: Susana-Aysanoa, CC

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47 Kenyan Villages to Get a “Solar Powered Classroom in a Box”

solar classroom twitter aleutia

Just add sunshine, and you’ve got an instant classroom.

The “Solar Classroom in a Box,” a solar powered modular pod built entirely off the electrical grid, has landed in rural Kenya, where there’s lots of sunshine but little electricity.

solar classroom computers twitter aleutiaThe 20-by-9-foot classrooms can accommodate up to 40 students at a time, and come ready with 11 desktop computers, monitors, a server, projector and even a screwdriver for assembly.

“For nearly all, this will be their first ever experience with a computer,” Mike Rosenberg told Gizmag.com. Rosenberg is the founder of Aleutia, the British computer company behind the project.

Each classroom is made up of local materials, such as cinder blocks and a corrugated tin roof, with a light gauge steel frame. The panels are assembled on site, each marked with a number for easy construction. Aleutia’s Twitter feed shows one of the classrooms being built.

 

The solar boxes cost about $20,000 each and have computers specifically designed to operate in the dust and heat of rural Africa.

Solar panel installation CC OregonDOT

New U.S. Plan for Solar Power Will Light Up Low-Income Homes

One of Kenya’s largest corporate charity groups, the Safaricom Foundation is footing the bill.

Aleutia plans to send them to each of Kenya’s 47 counties, where an estimated 20,000 kids will benefit from the little classrooms soaking up the sun.

(READ More at Fast Company) – Photos: Aleutia, Twitter

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High School Of Entrepreneurship: All Students Prepared to Start Businesses

Patino School video screenshot Patino School

This is not your typical high school — there are very few lectures, students write on walls, and the first class doesn’t start until 9:00 am — and when the inaugural class of 150 tenth graders graduate, they will be prepared to start and run their own businesses.

The Phillip J. Patiño School of Entrepreneurship, named after a local educator, is believed to be the only school of its kind in the U.S., set up specifically to train students to start their own businesses.Roger Federer African kids Twitter-850px

Federer Builds 50 New Preschools in Africa, Hugged by Kids on First Visit (WATCH)

The curriculum will teach basic courses through real-life experience. It aims to boost individuality and harness the creativity that comes from it into a future business model for each student.

Located in Fresno, California, its school year kicked off this week with “disorientation” — teachers are pushing students to find new ways of learning, like encouraging brainstorming sessions where kids write their ideas on glass walls and working in small groups rather than always in a classroom setting.

The whole experience is supposed to mimic a company — one of the reasons for the 9:00 am start time.Bully Free Zone sign- LoveShareCare.com

Grandparents Convert House Into “Safe School” for Bullied Students

Over the next three years, students will work with local business leaders and pitch their ideas to potential investors.

Some of the kids already have business plans in mind, like 15-year-old Guadalupe Depaz who wants to create a clothing line for short women like herself or Imani Purvis, a 10th grader who wants to open a dance studio.

(WATCH the Fresno Unified School District video and READ more in the Fresno Bee) — Photo: Fresno Unified School District video — Story tip: carilyn

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Quick-Thinking Teen ‘Befriends’ Couple to Thwart Kidnapping in Progress

Kidnapping Thwarted - Malyk Bonnet - Laval Police Facebook

It was none of his business, maybe, but Malyk Bonnet didn’t like the way the guy at the bus stop was treating the woman he was with. And she looked scared.

He thought maybe he should intervene, but how?

Bonnet decided to keep his eye on the couple and follow his instincts.

The 17-year-old cook had just completed a shift at work in Montreal, Canada, and saw his chance to help when the man asked him for money, saying he and the woman needed bus fare to get to the town of Laval, some 25 miles (40km) away.

Thinking on his feet, Bonnet not only got the money for them, but also announced that he, too, was headed to Laval. He hopped on the same bus as the couple, and when they stood up to get off, Bonnet stood up, too, and offered to buy them dinner.

Pretending to go to the restroom, Bonnet instead borrowed a stranger’s cell phone to call police. So good was the teen’s facade that when law enforcement arrived to arrest the man and escort the woman to safety, the kidnapper had no idea it was Bonnet who had tipped them off. Elli pre-op smile

Young Woman is Proof That Trusting Your Heart Can Save Your Life

“(The woman) looked at me, and she was almost crying, and I said to myself, ‘I did good,’” Bonnet told CBC News.

He did more than good, according to Laval Police Lieutenant Daniel Guérin, who told CBC that in 24 years of policing, he’s never seen anything quite like what Bonnet did.

Bonnet didn’t even know the police were already searching for the couple. The 29-year-old woman had reportedly been kidnapped a few hours earlier, and authorities were pretty sure they knew by whom—a dangerous ex-boyfriend who was under a court order to stay away from her.ontario-road-CC-ChristinaT

Michigan Man Follows Intuition to Become Hero in Life-saving Rescue

The Laval cops were so impressed with Bonnet’s decision-making, which they said probably saved the woman’s life, that they took up a collection to reimburse him for the money he spent. They raised $255 for the quick-witted young hero.

Bonnet was delighted to have his cash returned, and his proud mother bought up eight newspapers as keepsakes.

(WATCH the video below or READ more from the CBC) — Photos from the Laval Police Service, FB

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How Do Dogs Show Us Love? Let’s Count the Ways in This Beautiful Video

bulldog milos kitchen video

“Your tail wagged, my heart skipped a beat, and I knew you were the one. Thank you for always having my back.”

This poignant video from Milo’s kitchen totally puts into words what we’ve always felt, but many have not have expressed, about our beloved four-legged friends.

Their recent “Dog Happy Survey” of 3,000 U.S. dog parents found that ‘man’s best friend’ enriches our lives in surprising ways that often go unappreciated:

  • 86% of dog parents say their dog “comforts me immeasurably”
  • 71% say their dog “reminds me to seek out more joy in life”
  • 64% say their dog “makes me look forward to going home more than anything else”
  • 63% say their dog “makes me much more patient and responsible”

So, give Fido an extra hug, and maybe go buy him something nice.

And remember, on National Dog Day and every day: unconditional love is great, even if it is wet and slobbery.

(WATCH the video from Milo’s Kitchen below)

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Science Discovers Sweetgrass is Natural Mosquito Repellant, Native Americans Knew All Along

sweetgrass screenshot WCCO

Mother Nature often knows best–and when it comes to repelling mosquitoes, sweetgrass is one of its secret weapons.

This is no surprise to Native Americans, who have long used the fragrant plant to ward off insects. But now science is finally catching up.

In a recent study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified the two compounds in sweetgrass that mosquitoes don’t like: coumarin and phytol.Rooftop garden -Metro Atlanta Task Force For Homeless fb

Homeless Shelter’s 80-Bed Rooftop Garden Cultivates Fresh Food and Job Skills

Scientists used the substances to create fake blood samples to see which ones would repel the pesky bugs. They found that the samples containing the sweetgrass ingredients were just as effective as the chemical repellent, DEET.

But duration is key.

“It may work well in our bioassay for three minutes,” Dr. Charles Cantrell told the BBC, “but how does it work for three hours? These are questions that we’re going to try to answer over the next year or two.”

5 Common Kitchen Products Are the Recipe for Great Skin and Hair

Despite concerns about its toxicity to humans, DEET is still the go-to ingredient for repelling bugs. But the demand for safer products is driving scientists to look to nature and traditional folk remedies.

When it comes to getting mosquitoes to buzz off, sweetgrass is a true home remedy. It is easy to grow in your own garden or as a potted plant. A single clump can live up to five years.

(WATCH the video below or READ more at Smithsonian) – Photo: WCCO News

 

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Scientists Find Way to Turn Cancer Back Into Healthy Tissue in Lab

Fotointeresantes, CC license

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A 2015 discovery could eventually slam the brakes on cancer and shift it into reverse.

Mayo Clinic researchers in Jacksonville, Florida believe they’ve discovered a way to turn cancer cells back into healthy tissue.

The research is only lab-based for now, but the researchers are hopeful they’ve discovered a new mechanism for fighting — or even curing — cancer.

As cells get older, they’re supposed to quit dividing, but that doesn’t happen with cancer cells; they continue multiplying to form tumors. The researchers discovered a breakdown in communication within the body that allows cancer cells to continue dividing–and they’ve found a way to reprogram those cells.

RELATED: In Successful Cancer Trial, Therapy “Dissolves” Stage IV Tumor in 3 Weeks

They have identified a previously unknown link between two parts of cell growth — cell adhesion and microRNA (miRNA).

Cell adhesion holds cells together and sends information to miRNA to control their growth. When that communication breaks down, cancer cells can grow out of control.

The Mayo Clinic researchers discovered that if they pumped more miRNA into the cells, it re-established that communication and reversed the process. Lead researcher, Dr. Panos Anastasiadis, said it’s like applying “the brakes” to restore normal cell growth.

MORE: Meet the Chicago Teen Who May Cure Colon Cancer

“It’s a significant step forward in understanding how certain cells in our body know when to grow, and when to stop,” Henry Scowcroft, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information manager told the Telegraph. He, and the Mayo Clinic researchers, say there is still a lot of work to be done before they’ll know if their discovery can work in actual cancer patients.

The research findings were published in the journal Nature Cell Biology.

(READ more at the Telegraph) — Photo: fotosinteresantes, CC

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4 Adorable Pups With Heartwarming Stories for National Dog Day

pajama dogs the blue boys instagram

In honor of National Dog Day, a day designed to help raise awareness for the dogs of the world that still need to be rescued and adopted, we’ve pulled together a few adorable pups who will make you “Awww” out loud.

Founded in 2004 by animal advocate Colleen Paige, Dog Day has been supported by Jimmy Fallon, Paula Abdul, Willie Nelson, and even former U.S. President George W. Bush, whose dog, Barney the Scottish terrier, has starred in a series of videos.

Aside from being lovable, the National Dog Day Foundation reminds us that dogs put their lives on the line every day for their law enforcement partners, and selflessly help blind companions and those who are disabled every day.

If you have the means, consider adopting a dog this year—outfitting them in pajamas is optional.

You may not be able to actually pet these four furry guys, but we would like you to e-meet them…

This Shelter Dog Was Rescued by the Coast Guard

Mark-and-Charlie dog Pets for Patriots BlogFeeling the effects of empty-nest syndrome, Mark and his wife adopted a young Lhasa Apso named Charlie through the non-profit, Pets for Patriots.

Charlie had multiple disabilities, a low-grade heart murmur and epilepsy, which made the shelter dog extremely hard-to-adopt.

In spite of Charlie’s physical challenges, with guidance from a Pets for Patriots veterinary partner, Mark and his wife have been giving the one-year-old pup as much physical activity as he can handle.

“He’s very adorable and puts a smile on my heart,” Mark says.

These Cuddly Sleepover Dogs Have Their Own Instagram Following:

The Pajama-clad Blue Boys’ are English Staffordshire Bull Terriers From Brisbane, Australia

Goodnight friends ❤️????❤️

A photo posted by D A R R E N & P H I L L I P (@the_blueboys) on

 

This Dog Escaped Euthanasia and “Ran the Lunchroom”

Chieftain was a 10-year-old, 90-pound German Shepherd with severe separation anxiety when he arrived at Best Friends Animal Society in Utah, the nation’s largest no-kill sanctuary. His anxiety was so bad that a trainer suggested he be euthanized, but the folks at Best Friends had other plans for him.

Chieftain Lunch_Best Friends Animal SocietyChieftain’s favorite place turned out to be the staff lunchroom. He got to hang out there with his caregivers a few times each week, and, to distract him from the food, they offered him something he would come to love even more — tennis balls. Instead of begging people for their lunches, Chieftain would make them laugh by chasing the ball around the room. All the while, his caregivers worked tirelessly to find him a home where he would feel safe.

As it turned out, the very first application that came in after he was ready to be adopted, ended up being the best home possible. Leslie Ames runs the Basset Rescue of Montana out of her home, so she’s always around, and happened to be looking specifically for a large, senior German Shepherd. Chieftain now enjoys hiking and running around on two acres of land, and keeps watch by the horse gate when Leslie feeds them every day.

Photos: The Blueboys Instagram, Pets for Patriots, Best Friends Animal Society

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Woman Reads to Shelter Dogs to Ease Their Loneliness—And Her Own

Dog Reader 1 Reddit user puglife123 aka Kathleen Costello

It all started because she missed her own dog.

After 14 years with her beloved Welsh corgi, Sandy Barbabella was at a loss when he died last year—terribly lonely, yet not quite ready for a new four-legger in her life.

So the mother of four and grandmother of six decided to volunteer at the local animal shelter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and spend some quality time with furry friends who, like her, were missing their buddies.

Her dog, Angus, had loved being read to, so she brought along a book.Friday Night Lights Kitten Nursery Best Friends Animal Society

Clear Your Schedule: Baby Kitten Cuddling is a Real Volunteer Job

It’s now been 18 months since Barbabella first began settling into her chair beside the kennels every Tuesday at the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Shelter workers say it really calms down the dogs, but Barbabella says it does more good for her than it does for the dogs.

Dog Reader 2 Amy CrawfordBarbabella was unaware that photos of herself reading to dogs were spreading on the internet until the media started calling. A fellow shelter volunteer was so touched by the sight of her reading ‘Biscuit and the Little Pup’ to an old pit bull that she snapped a photo (above) and posted it on Reddit.

“She was so patient with the dogs—I watched her read to several—and they just loved being petted by her,” Kathleen Costello told TODAY.

Inspired by Barbabella’s style of volunteering, the shelter has announced that a read-a-thon is being organized for September.

The plan is to get kids involved, reading to the animals, with the added benefit of reading practice for the two-leggers, along with plenty of friendly companionship for the four-leggers.

(READ more at TODAY) — Photos: Kathleen Costello; (left) Amy Crawford, West. PA Humane Society

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Rare Sumatran Rhino From US Zoo Moves to Asia to Save His Species

Sumatran Rhino2 cc Tobyotter

A rhino from the Cincinnati Zoo is officially on a mission to Southeast Asia to save his entire species.

Harapan, an 1,800 pound Sumatran Rhino, will leave sometime this fall for a sanctuary in Indonesia dedicated to saving the Sumatrans, a species declared extinct in Malaysia just this month. Currently, only 100 Sumatran Rhinos remain in the world.Harapan Sumatran Rhino released Cincinatti Zoo

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“We believe there is still time to save them and we are by no means giving up that fight now,” Dr. Terri Roth, Director of the Zoo’s Center for Conservation & Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) said at a press conference.

The Cincinnati Zoo has had a Sumatran Rhino breeding program for 25 years, the only place in the world that has successfully bred the endangered species since 1889.

Harapan (pictured above, right) is the only Sumatran Rhino on public view anywhere in the world outside Southeast Asia.

He’ll join his brother, Andalas, at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary where there are three possible mates waiting for him.

Harapan was the third rhino born at the zoo and with his departure the breeding program will come to an end in Cincinnati, but zookeepers say their research and the rhino will aid the breeding effort in Indonesia.

(READ more in the Washington Post)  Photos: (top) Tobyotter, CC; (right) Cincinnati Zoo

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Awww: Total Number of Endangered Pandas Just Grew By One (UPDATE)

panda-twins-released-Smithsonian

[Update] We reported earlier today, “Panda fans got a double-dose of cute Saturday with the birth of rare twin cubs at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC.” However, we got an update this evening that the smallest panda has died.

Panda mothers will not nurse a pair of twins, so the zoo’s staff had been trying to swap the cubs out every few hours so that the mother is only taking care of one at a time. But mama had strongly resisted giving up her larger cub today. The routine of bottle-feeding the other, while keeping it warm in an incubator, was supposed to increase the “survivability” of both cubs, but did not succeed.

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Zookeepers weren’t even aware that Panda mom Mei Xiang was pregnant until four days before she gave birth, but this is only the third time in history that a giant panda has given birth to twins in the U.S.

Mei Xiang is also mother to two other living cubs born at the National Zoo–Tai Shan, a male born in 2005, and Bao Bao, who turned two years old on Sunday.panda cub plays in snow-500px-NatlZoovideo

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It’ll still be three or four weeks until the survivor’s gender is announced and, following Chinese custom, it won’t be named until it is 100 days old.

(WATCH the WJLA News video)  Photos: Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo – Story tip from Julia Freriches

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Huge Hole in Road is Left Unrepaired, So Neighbors Add a Fish Pond

Pothole becomes fish pond screenshot WJBK

When you hit a bump in the road, you can give up – or you can build a fishpond.

Fed up with waiting for city hall to respond to complaints about a massive trench dug and left in their Detroit street, neighbors turned the maintenance lapse into a fishing hole.

A Michigan gas utility had ripped up the road and dug the 15-by-four foot wide hole three years ago, and never filled it in. Then, a city water line started leaking, filling it with water two feet deep.welcome-to-cleveland-roof-sign-in-Milwaukee-googlemaps

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When complaints yielded little help, neighbors took matters into their own hands, stocking the pit with carp, bluegill, and goldfish then breaking out the fishing rods in a humorous protest.

The city is now finally looking into the water leak and the road may soon be repaired.

Until then, residents say they’ll enjoy the only neighborhood fishing hole on the east side of Detroit.

(WATCH the WJBK News video) — Photo: WJBK video

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