All News - Page 834 of 1716 - Good News Network
Home Blog Page 834

Watch Adorable Otter Jump on Boat to Befriend Dogs

This little river critter just wanted to hang out with his land-based buddies.

In a series of videos uploaded to YouTube, a persistent river otter can be seen playing with two pups on a dock.

While the otter simply starts out by giving kisses to its puppy pals, it eventually makes its way onto the pier. It then follows the dogs over to the boat that they have boarded so it can poke its head in and say hello.

RELATED VIDEO: Dog Starts Tickling Baby to Stop the Crying, Adorable Gigglefest Ensues

Finally, after getting its fill of playtime, the otter hops back down the pier and into the water.

One of the men present for the adorable event can be heard exclaiming: “I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

Regardless, we can probably all agree that it is the cutest thing that we have ever seen before.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends

Schwarzenegger Steps Up For Anti-hate Group: ‘Our Voices Are Louder and Stronger’

Photo by Nate Mandos, CC

In the wake of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia this week, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has stood in defiance against racism by donating thousands of dollars to an anti-hate organization on Sunday.

The movie star and bodybuilder published a powerful statement on Facebook concerning the donation:

“While these so-called “white nationalists” are lucky to live in a country that defends their right to voice their awful, incorrect, hateful opinions, the rest of us must use our voices and resources to condemn hate and teach tolerance at every opportunity,” wrote Schwarzenegger.

CHECK OUT: Clean Water Pours Into Flint as Rapper The Game Sends $1 Million

“My message to them is simple: you will not win. Our voices are louder and stronger. There is no white America – there is only the United States of America. You were not born with these hateful views – you can change, grow, and evolve, and I suggest you start immediately.”

“Today, I’m sending $100,000 to an anti-hate organization I’ve worked with for decades – the Simon Wiesenthal Center, named after the great Nazi hunter who I was lucky to call a friend.”

“I have spoken to its founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier, and I know that my contribution can help advance the Center’s mission of expanding tolerance through education and fighting hate all over America – in the streets and online. My dream is that all of you will join me in helping your favorite anti-hate organizations in any way you can.”

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Nate Mandos, CC)

UPDATE: After Cop Buys His Stolen Job Interview Outfit, Youth Lands Position

This cop knew he had to give a troubled 18-year-old a second chance after he was allegedly caught stealing an outfit for a job interview – and now, they are seeing the fruits of his compassion.

The youth was originally caught stealing a dress shirt, tie, and socks from a Toronto Walmart last week. When Const. Niran Jeyanesan was called to the scene, the young man explained that he had stolen the outfit because he had a job interview coming up and he did not have the money to buy it.

Additionally, he explained that he was trying to turn his life around and earn money for his family after his father had fallen ill.

CHECK OUT: Jail Inmates Rush to Save Fallen Officer, Rather Than Escaping

Jeyanesan, who says that he is a firm believer in second chances, bought the outfit for the young man, agreed not to charge him for theft, and wished him luck on the interview.

Then, on Friday night, Jeyanesan got a call from the 18-year-old excitedly saying that he had landed the position

“He confirmed that he had got the job. I’m just happy,” Jeyanesan told the Toronto Star. “Happy that this person actually went and did what he said he was going to do and followed through with it and that he was determined to get that position, and he did. That’s all him. So the second chance truly works.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends

Newlyweds Track Down Wedding Crashers Who Were Life of the Party

This couple may not look much like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, but they certainly have a knack for crashing weddings.

The dynamic duo showed up at the reception of Karen and Michael Tufo and proceeded to become the life of the party; dancing for every song, posing for every photo, and just being a lot of fun in general.

Though the newlyweds and the bridesmaids were unable to put their finger on who the bombastic partygoers were, they were too distracted by the festivities to try and figure it out.

CHECK OUT: 4-Year-old Can’t Contain Emotions When He Hears Stepmom Give Special Message During Wedding Vows

They were later surprised – and delighted – to find a card in their stack of wedding presents that confirmed their suspicions.

The card had a dollar bill taped to the inside, along with a polaroid of the mystery couple, saying: “1) Congratulations! 2) Sorry for crashing your wedding! 3) Best of luck!”

Karen later posted a photo of the card on social media, saying that it was the best gift she could have asked for, and that she wanted to find the couple so she could shake their hands and buy them a drink.

RELATEDUber Driver Saves Stranded Couple On the Way to Their Wedding – And Goes the Extra Mile

The New Jersey couple was later revealed to be Carly Wolfson and Ritchie Berry: two youngsters who had actually agreed to crash a wedding as their first date.

“I messaged her on Facebook apologizing, like I’m so sorry,” Wolfson told WMMT. “She was like don’t be sorry, best gift ever.”

Ms. Tufo has since befriended the two youths and demanded that she be invited to their own wedding – assuming they ever get married.

(WATCH the video below)

Say “I Do”: Click To Share (Photo by La Moda Photography)

Determined Mother Tracks Down Stolen Car Carrying Son’s Ashes

When Shelly Brown saw that her SUV had been stolen out of her driveway last week, she was heartbroken.

But it wasn’t really because her car was gone; it was because there had been a vial of her son’s ashes hanging from the rearview mirror.

The ashes, she said, were all she really had left of her son.

The Del City, Oklahoma mother wasn’t separated from the ashes for long, however – a week later, she saw the exact model of her car drive past her in the streets. When her instincts told her to follow it, she tracked it down to where the Honda SUV had stopped in a parking lot.

CHECK OUT: Barefoot Woman Chases Dog Thief For Half Hour to Rescue Stolen Pup

She was shocked to find that the car was indeed her stolen vehicle.

Though there was some damage to the steering wheel, all of her possessions were still there and intact – including her son’s ashes.

Though police have not yet identified the thief, Brown has had the car towed back to her driveway where it is now safe and sound.

(WATCH the video below)

Drive This Story Over To Your Friends: Click To SharePhoto by KOCO

How a Swimming Pool for Neighborhood Kids Helped Heal a Man After Wife’s Death

Keith Davison got so tired of his solitude following the death of his wife, he decided to do something about it – and things have been going swimmingly ever since.

The 94-year-old retired judge had been married to his wife Evy for 66 years until she passed away from cancer last year.

After dealing with the grief and the silence of his house, he decided to build a pool in his backyard.

RELATEDCraftsman Donates Tools (and Himself) to New Tool-Lending Library

But not for himself – he built it for the neighborhood kids to enjoy.

The pool, which is measured at 32 feet long and 9 feet deep, has become a community fixture of fun since he opened it in July.

“It’s him spreading joy throughout our neighborhood for these kids,” a neighborhood mom told KARE-11 News.

(WATCH the inspiring video below)

Float This Story To Her Friends: Click To SharePhoto by KSDK

Pregnant Lion Saved from Syrian Zoo Gives Birth Just Hours After Rescue

This proud mamma lion may have been destined to bring her newborn cub into a war zone – but now, after traveling for over 375 miles, she and her child are safe.

Dana is one of five lions who were rescued from a zoo in Aleppo earlier this week. For the last several years, the city has been a battlefield for the Syrian civil war, and the lions were considered lucky to be alive.

Thanks to the animal charity and rescue organization Four Paws, the animals were airlifted from Syria to the Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife sanctuary in northern Jordan.

CHECK OUT: India Saves Its Tigers Instead of Mining For $330M in Diamonds

Just hours after landing at her new home, Dana gave birth to her cub.

“Our team on site was very concerned about whether the lioness would accept the cub or kill it, as this is what lions sometimes do when they are under enormous stress,” said the Four Paws UK Facebook page. “But luckily that wasn’t the case. She cleaned the cub and nursed it. This is a true sign that she feels safe at Al Ma’wa.”

Since a previous ultrasound showed that Dana was destined to give birth to two cubs, wildlife specialists are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a second lion. The gender of the first is still unknown.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Photo by Ahu Savan An)

Stylist Spends 13 Hours With Depressed Teen, Repairing Her Matted Hair For School Photos

Depression can manifest itself in a multitude of ways – and for this 16-year-old high schooler, it was demonstrated in how she could not even bring herself to brush her hair.

So with her school photos due around the corner, the teen approached Kayley Olsson, a young hairdresser from Waterloo, Iowa, and asked if she could shave off all of her matted, tangled hair.

“She got to the point where she felt so down and so worthless, she couldn’t even brush her hair, she told me she only got up to use the restroom,” wrote Olsson. “When she walked in, she told us just cut it all off, I can’t deal with the pain of combing it out, she called herself worthless for it.

LOOKGuy Gives Shelter Dogs Free Haircuts to Help Them Get Adopted

“It honestly broke my heart and we tried everything we could to keep this child’s hair for her!”

Olsson spent thirteen collective hours combing, cutting, and repairing the youth’s hair. Then, by the end of the session, the teen had an incredibly glamorous head of shining locks.

“At the end of the day I want this to be a lesson to people. MENTAL HEALTH is a thing, it affects people all around the world and of all ages! PARENTS take it serious, don’t just push your kids off and tell them to get over something they legitimately can’t. A CHILD should NEVER feel so worthless to not even want to brush their hair.”

“Her last words to me [were]: ‘I will actually smile for my school’s pictures today, you made me feel like me again’.”

Click To Share This Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photos by Kayley Olsson)

Prisoners Change Their Lives, Becoming Expert Braille Transcribers for Blind Students

Just because these inmates are behind bars doesn’t mean that they can’t make a positive difference in the world, or do something so meaningful that it will change their own lives forever.

Roughly 23 prisoners at the Scotland Correctional Institution in Laurinburg, North Carolina have been trained and are now dedicating their remaining prison time to transcribing books into braille for blind students and adults.

The braille books are actually requested by teachers and crisis centers in Wyoming, Connecticut, Colorado, and North Carolina. They require a team of six translators to complete because many of the books are educational texts on science, math, and music.

CHECK OUT: Jail Inmates Rush to Save Fallen Officer, Rather Than Escaping

According to WFMY, it can take anywhere from 8 to 12 months to learn regular braille – and it can take years to become adept at transcribing music. The correctional institution’s Braille Transcribing Plant says that because braille translators are always in high demand, prisoners have just a 0-3% recidivism rate after being released—and the success rate holds true across the dozens of institutions with such programs in the US.

“They enjoy what they’re doing. To know that they’re responsible for that child having a book in the classroom,” said plant manager Cynthia Stubbs in an interview with WFMY News. “They’re just dedicated, they really are.”

The translating plant is just one of many initiatives of Correctional Enterprise, an organization dedicated to providing life skills that become rehabilitative opportunities for inmates. In 2016 alone, the Braille Transcribing Plant translated over 1,000 books for blind citizens.

The inmates know the value of what they are doing, too. “It is kind of ironic that I do find myself now in a position where I can give back. I can really benefit myself and others.”

(WATCH a video below about a similar program in Georgia – and see another at WFMY)

Click To Share The News With Your FriendsPhoto by WFMY

Stranger’s Diligence Leads to Emotional Reunion With Lost Ring of Woman’s Mother

After 40 years of being buried in the brush of a local quarry, a class ring was returned to its rightful owner in an emotional reunion – thanks to the diligent sleuthing of a stranger.

Nancy Kennedy first found the ring at a swimming hole in Hopewell, New Jersey last week. All she knew about the ring, which had been engulfed by a tree root, was that it came from St. Hubert’s Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and had initials inscribed on the inside.

When Kennedy contacted the school and asked if they could investigate the potential owner of the ring, the effort proved unfruitful.

CHECK OUT: Daughter Gets Dad’s Long Lost Message in a Bottle 50 Years Later

She then took to Facebook with a picture of the ring and a plea for help in finding its rightful owner.

A few hundred shares later, the post was spotted by Andrea Forrester.

“Andrea Forrester contacted me when she realized it was her mother’s, Julia Patricia Walsh—St. Hubert’s Class of 1949,” says Kennedy, a former journalist. “After her marriage, she went by the name Patricia Cariola, and sadly, she died in 1987.”

Walsh had lost the ring over 40 years ago, and Forrester – who was just a child at the time – could not believe that someone had found the piece of jewelry.

RELATEDDaughter Fulfills Dad’s Last Wish With Side-Splitting Obituary

“Andrea is so grateful to have this memento of her mother,” wrote Kennedy. “As a young girl, Andrea remembers it being in her mother’s jewelry box, and she’d try it on when her mother allowed her to play with her jewelry.”

“My mother and I were best friends,” said Forrester. “It’s been 30 years this past March and I miss her every day.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends 

Widower is Showered With Affection After Sending His Dating Profile into the Ocean

Craig Sullivan has been struggling to find love since his wife lost her battle with cancer 18 months ago – but he deplores the idea of online dating apps.

Instead of struggling with OKCupid, he was inspired by a British rock song to put his dating profile in a bottle.

The 49-year-old Scottish widower has sent dozens of messages in bottles into the ocean in hopes that the right person would find one and respond. Though he originally planned to cast off hundreds of bottles, he was told to stop polluting UK waters.

CHECK OUT: Dying Writer Pens Heartfelt Plea For Someone to Marry Her Husband

His messages have, however, returned dozens of replies from places as far as Brazil, Turkey, the USA, South Africa, Portugal, China, and Japan.

“It’s been an amazingly broad and deeply emotional clutch of messages that have come my way,” says Sullivan.

The single father first got the idea for the unconventional dating plan after he read an op-ed about a dying children’s author asking other women to “date her husband” in hopes that he would find love after her passing.

As Sullivan contemplated how he could do something similar, the song “Message in a Bottle” by The Police started playing on his radio – and everything clicked into place.

RELATED:  Daughter Gets Dad’s Long Lost Message in a Bottle 50 Years Later

He wrote about his mission in a blog, where Sullivan has expressed his shock – and gratitude – over how much attention he has received from the bottles.

“I’ve been contacted by 137 people from different websites, newspapers, TV shows and radio stations interested in the story,” wrote Sullivan. “I simply couldn’t get back to everyone.”

“As for those ladies who wrote to me, I just wanted to reassure you that I will reply to every one of your supportive, insightful and detailed messages — it may take me a couple of days to catch up with everything.”

If you live in London and you are interested in chatting with this inspiring widower, he describes himself as a “reasonably attractive” man who adores traveling, gardening, and spending time with his daughter, two cats, and two dogs.

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends

Helium Discovery a ‘Game-changer’ for MRI Machines

While helium may be prevalent in the rest of the universe, it is much more scarce on Earth.

Which is why geologists are excited over the discovery of a helium field in Tanzania.

Helium, which is used for MRI machines, telescopes, and spacecrafts, has become increasingly expensive—and thus far, has only been captured from beneath the ground in small amounts.

CHECK OUT: For the First Time Ever, US Scientists Have ‘Corrected’ Genetic Code for Heart Condition

It is hoped that the discovery in the Tanzanian East African Rift Valley will provide enough helium for the next several years.

“This is a game-changer for the future security of society’s helium needs and similar finds in the future may not be far away,” said professor Chris Ballentine, of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, according to the BBC.

Share The Uplifting News With Your Friends  Photo by Muffet, CC

Once a Homeless Teen Mom, She’s Now a Hairdresser Offering Free Makeovers to Girls in City Shelters

Vanessa Howard knows what it’s like to have nothing – and that’s why she is giving back to girls and women who are facing the same struggles she did.

When Howard was just a teen, she was the victim of domestic abuse, had three children of her own, and just $1.75 to her name, according to CBS News. The youth eventually got the courage to leave her “drug-infested” household in Tampa Florida, to see if she could make it on her own.

Howard eventually met with a landlord who let her rent an apartment because he believed it was destiny that he was supposed to help the unfortunate young mother. She then started working at local beauty salons to be able to support her three daughters.

CHECK OUT: Tattoo Parlor Covers Up Racist Tattoos Free of Charge

Decades later, Howard was finally able to open her own business, and aptly named it the Giving Hands Hair Salon.

As a means of uplifting other girls living in poverty around Tampa, the 62-year-old provides free services one day a month. Almost 300 women and girls from transitional housing and homeless shelters have benefited from Howard’s free styling.

“I believe everything we go through we go through for purpose. I truly believe that nothing happens by coincidence,” Howard told CBS News. “I would encourage other broken women, business owners — all of us have a story and I believe that we should use what we’ve been through to help others.”

Cut Out Negativity: Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Giving Hands Hair Salon)

Watch 2-Year-old Belt Out ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ in Her Own Kid Language

This 2-year-old is destined for American Idol.

Maddy Dellaca is winning hearts after her parents posted a video of her singing an adorable – albeit skewed – version of the “Star-Spangled Banner”.

RELATEDIf You Ever Need to Get Pumped, Watch this 9-Year-old Singing Whitney Houston

While it is obvious that the Iowa toddler doesn’t quite know the words, she still nails it in her own way.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Sweet Story With Your Friends

When Student’s College Fund is Stolen, Police Officers Double it

While these law enforcement officers may not have been at this college student’s house to protect her savings, they were sure to serve up the money that she lost – and more.

Kristin Villanueva and her family were on vacation when an unnamed burglar broke into their house and stole her $2,000 college fund.

The 17-year-old high school graduate and valedictorian of El Segundo High School had saved up all of the money by tutoring other students. Now, as she prepares to study materials engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kristin was heartbroken to discover the robbery.

WATCHScared 4-Year-Old Girl Calls Police to Check Her House for Monsters

The El Segundo Police Force then stepped in and created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Kristin.

Since they started the campaign, they have successfully raised over $5,000.

“Kristin has done everything right in her life and was a major contributor to this community,” wrote the officers. “Let’s not allow some burglars ruin her college experience!!!”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by Joseph Cameron)

Pilot Flies 750 Miles to Save a Dog That Was Given 24 Hours to Live

While dogs might be man’s best friend, this man is now definitely the best friend of Lisa the pup.

Lisa, also known as Adrienne, is a 2-year-old dog who was rescued by the Granville County Animal Shelter in Oxford, North Carolina when she was found on the streets with a severe bladder prolapse. Because the surgery for the prolapse was too serious, Lisa was sentenced to euthanization.

That is, until Animals R Family – an animal wellness center and charity in Englishtown, New Jersey, heard about her plight.

CHECK OUT: Baby Deer Refused To Leave Side of Man Who Rescued It

The charity volunteered the $1,500 necessary for the surgery, but they had no idea how they were going to get Lisa from North Carolina to the animal hospital before the deadline.

Paul Steklenski, who is the pilot in charge of a rescue organization called Flying Fur Animal Rescue, volunteered to fly the 750-mile round trip from his home in Pennsylvania, to pick up Lisa in North Carolina, and bring her to Westchester.

“It was a very emotional rescue because of when was at stake. I was exhausted by the end of the day,” Steklenski told Metro. “The trip was the difference between life and death but now, given the proper care, Adrienne will live a perfectly normal life.”

Lisa is now recovering from a successful surgery, after which she will be ready for adoption.

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends (Photo by Animals R Family)

Adorable ‘Yoda Bat’ Species Has Been Renamed For its Happy Face

An unusual breed of fruit bat – previously nicknamed ‘Yoda’ due to its resemblance to the Star Wars Jedi Master – has now officially been registered as a new species and renamed the happy (Hamamas) tube-nosed fruit bat.

Discovered in a remote rainforest of Papua New Guinea, the bat’s unusual features immediately saw it affectionately referred to as the ‘Yoda bat’.

However, after thorough research examining literature and some 3,000 specimens in 18 museums around the world, a University of York researcher has now formally distinguished and registered the new species.

RELATEDScientist Wants to Name This Cute Octopus Species “Adorabilis”

Dr. Nancy Irwin, an Honorary Research Fellow in York’s Department of Biology, explains: “The species is very difficult to tell apart from other tube-nosed bat species. Bat species often look similar to each other, but differ significantly in behavior, feeding, and history.

“Most of the morphological characteristics that separate this bat from other species are associated with a broader, rounder jaw which gives the appearance of a constant smile.

“Since most remote Papuans have never seen Star Wars, I thought it fitting to use a local name: the Hamamas – meaning happy – tube-nosed fruit bat.”

The happy tube-nosed fruit bat’s formal name, Nyctimene wrightae sp. nov., is named after the conservationist Dr. Deb Wright, who devoted 20 years to building conservation programs and long-term scientific capacity in Papua New Guinea.

Fly This Story Over To Your Friends: Click To Share

Watch Neighbors Throw a Parade for Breast Cancer Patient on Last Day of Chemo

This Ohio community is a prime example of how to properly love thy neighbor.

When it was Amy Kleiner’s last day of chemotherapy, her neighbors, friends, and family gathered outside of her home to surprise her with a parade.

Kleiner had originally been diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago – now, she says she is “ready to put it all behind her”.

CHECK OUT: Remember Britney Spears? She Just Donated Heaps of Cash to Child Cancer Treatment

Complete with ribbons, signs, and balloons, the parade was waiting for Kleiner when a neighbor lured the unsuspecting woman out from her garage.

And judging by the expression on Kleiner’s face, it was a splendid surprise indeed.

(WATCH the vide below)

Click To Share The Sweet Story With Your Friends

Curious Dog Finds Box of Abandoned Kittens, Instantly Decides to Be Their Dad

This adorable dad does not care if his foster kids are a different species – he just wants to take care of them.

Aragon the rescue pup first found his four orphan kittens when he was walking with his owner through Ymittos in Greece.

The mountain is a notorious dumping ground for abandoned puppies, kittens, and birds. Aragon’s owner, who is a volunteer for the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society (SCARS), has helped rescue over 25 kittens from the region.

WATCHBaby Deer Refused To Leave Side of Man Who Rescued It

“We were walking Aragon near the mountain, actually planning to [make a] video on the huge number of animals abandoned there, when Aragon started pulling us towards their direction,” says his owner. “Basically, he was the rescuer, and he has been an excellent foster dad since day one.”

Despite being neutered, Aragon has become an astoundingly attentive parent. The pup can be seen smooching the felines’ tiny heads and nudging them along as they get the hang of their legs.

If you’re interested in adopting the kittens, you can contact SCARS via their website or Facebook page.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Pawesome Story With Your Friends

Mom with Cancer Desperate for Missing Luggage Gets a Note With Delivery at 3 AM

Despite there being an abundance of negative news about airline employees, this Southwest worker has become a shining example of going above and beyond the call of duty.

Stacy Hurt was preparing to fly back to Pittsburgh from undergoing a chemotherapy treatment in Nashville, Tennessee when she was offered an earlier flight home.

Unfortunately, there was not enough time for a luggage transfer and her suitcase was unable to make it on the plane. When Hurt discovered that she had lost her bag, she was overwhelmingly upset.

CHECK OUT: American Airlines Worker Hailed for Saving 2 Lives in 1 Day

In order to survive colon cancer, Hurt will have to undergo chemotherapy treatments for the rest of her life. Inside of her lost bag, there were a number of important medicinal and emotional objects that she wanted for her chemo session the next day.

When Hurt spoke to Southwest airlines worker Sarah Rowan about her dilemma, the young employee immediately understood the gravity of the situation.

Rowan tirelessly searched for the bag until – at 3AM – she finally found the suitcase. Because the curriers had all gone home, however, Rowan delivered the suitcase to Hurt’s doorstep herself.

MOREDuring Layover, Flight Crew Goes ‘Above and Beyond’ for 5-Year-old Flying Solo

On top of the suitcase, she left a heartwarming note scribbled on tissue paper.

The two women later shared a tearful conversation where Hurt expressed her gratitude and disbelief at Rowan’s efforts.

We warn you – it is hard not to get tearful listening to it yourself.

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends Photo by KDKA