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The most inspiring pet stories of 2024

Leading pet brand Nulo knows every cat and dog has the power to be incredible.

via Keswick Mountain Rescue Team/Instagram, Cat Protection/Youtube

Incredible pets deserve incredible food.

2024 was a year filled with heartwarming stories that reminded us of the incredible bond between humans and their furry companions. From acts of bravery to heartwarming gestures, these pets made a huge impact on the lives of their owners… and the lives of many, many more.

It’s stories like these that continue to inspire leading pet nutrition brand Nulo, which is committed to helping pets live their best lives with functional, delicious and nutritious food. Through their innovative and intentional formulas, Nulo fuels incredible cats and dogs just like the ones below each and every day.

Enjoy some stories below of 2024’s goodest boys and girls — courageous dogs, trauma-informed kitties and much, much more —that really show the unwavering love and loyalty animals bring into our lives. Their inspiring actions fuel incredible.

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When a 71-year-old man went unconscious and collapsed during a steep hike, his golden retriever and a black labrador instinctively broke up into a rescue team — the smart and resourceful labrador going off to look for help, and the loyal goldie staying by its owner's side. Sometimes it’s smart to have two of “man’s best friends.”

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Marley, a seven-year-old, black and white feline known for his "incredible gift of empathy” won Cat Protection's National Cat of the Year 2024 for the way he comforts women who have been enslaved, exploited and trafficked and staying at the Caritas Bakhita Safe House in London. He’s known to often leave a reassuring paw on guests’ legs to “let them know they’re not alone,” a gesture often called “the first kindness they’ve experienced in years.”

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

In early 2024, Kobe, a four-year-old husky with an extraordinary sense of smell, began digging obsessively in the yard. At first the pooch’s owner, Chanell Bell, thought this was just typical behavior, but soon discovered that Kobe had indeed detected a dangerously large cloud of natural gas that would have not only been seriously life-threatening to her, but the entire neighborhood. It’s like they say, “the nose knows.”

Eight-year-old golden retriever Roger, may have failed his drug-sniffing training in Taiwan, but it turns out he has a knack for rescue operations during natural disasters. After a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck, Roger dug through the rubble of a collapsed building to locate the body of one of the 13 people killed in the quake, offering closure to a grieving family. This earned him the nickname of “the pride of Taiwan” on social media.

Dogs don’t only save humans — sometimes they rescue other animals as well.

When folks scrolling through the X account called “Animals Dying” saw a video of a creature swimming through murky water with a deer fawn in its jaws, they probably assumed it was an alligator enjoying its latest meal. But to everyone’s surprise and delight, it was actually a Labrador Retriever making sure the sweet little fawn didn’t drown.

Once a stray, 12-year-old Cilla found her home at Outwoods Primary School in Warwickshire, England, where she calms anxious students, inspires a community of cat lovers on X, and has even used her social media celebrity to help raise £5,000 to restock the school library — a place she loves to lounge in.

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In July, Bloodhound puppy and K-9 unit member Remi used his powerful nose to help an autistic and non-verbal boy who had gotten lost find his way back home. Deputy B. Belk, Remi’s partner, used a piece of sterile gauze to collect the scent from the boy’s forearms and the back of his neck and had Remi “reverse” track backwards for about half a mile to locate the child’s home in a nearby neighborhood.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

When a beautiful pooch named Gita saw her 84-year-old owner fall and hurt his leg, she ran down to the main road, and refused to move until someone stopped to help. Eventually she was seen by a man named Deputy Wright, who tried to get Gita into his patrol car, but the dog wouldn’t budge. When Gita did finally bolt off, Wright followed her down to where the man had been stranded, and was able to help him. Without her protection, who knows if the man would have been found in time? “The loyalty and heroism of our furry friends never cease to amaze us,” Wright would end up writing on Facebook.

If there’s an incredible furry friend in your own life, nothing says “thank you” quite like a nourishing meal. Check out Nulo for a variety of recipes sure to be loved by your beloved pet.

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Dave Ramsey saved a caller to his show from domestic violence live on air

"You need to call the police–you're in danger."

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia and Canva

Dave Ramsey helps save domestic violence victim calling for financial advice

Editor's Note: This story contains discussion and/or embedded images of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and need help call 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788 to reach The National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Dave Ramsey gained popularity in the early 90s after starting a radio show to help people with money questions. The show exploded and evolved along with its host. Now Ramsey hosts a show named after him where he continues to answer money questions from people who call and write into the show.

On a more recent episode, a woman, Danielle, calls in to get financial advice on selling her home she shares with her partner and their shared child. But the reason she wanted to sell her home piqued Ramsey's interest causing him to go into concerned dad mode. Danielle is focuses in on being able to make $88K off of selling her home which would allow her to pay off her debt of $16K and settle in a new town with her son–without his father.

Ramsey perks up as does his co-host, Rachel Cruze, as they take in what the woman is saying but the fear in Danielle's voice is palpable. Listeners can tell she's either sneaking to call or is afraid her partner will put together what is happening. There's an immense amount of tension in the studio but through the entire exchange Ramsey and Cruze remain a calming voice of reassurance and reason.

now we're talking yes GIF by Ramsey SolutionsGiphy

"I don't know if you need to sell your house or not, you may, that's possible but that's not your problem today is it," Ramsey asks the woman before asking if she had family in the area. Much to Ramsey and Cruze's relief the frightened woman reveals she has a father, brothers, aunt and a grandmother in or near the city in which she lives. Ramsey immediately encourages the woman to contact her father and police to get her out of the dangerous living situation but Danielle refuses, even when Ramsey offers to call the police for her.

The insistent refusal on contacting law enforcement or her family seemed to trigger Cruze into sussing out the true reason the woman didn't want to leave. Cruze asks the woman where her 8 month old son is which is when Danielle reveals her partner is holding the child standing directly in front of the car she's sitting in speaking to the co-hosts. This whole situation feels like the plot of a lifetime movie.

love shouldn't hurt-printed on back of woman Photo by Sydney Sims on Unsplash

While Danielle didn't mention if the boyfriend was physically abusive in the first part of the call, she did imply she was afraid of him. The mom of one also reveals that she has previously involved the police but it "didn't work." But given the audible fear in the woman's voice it's not a far leap for the two co-hosts and their listeners to believe the woman is being abused in some way that has made her fearful of her partner.

"No, no, honey, we don't need to call a realtor. We need to get your boyfriend out of the house and that's gonna involve the police and or your father and your brothers. He needs to leave, it's your house...and you're afraid. You understand that this is wrong, right," Ramsey tells the woman. "You're not the crazy one. I'm talking to the sane one."


@daveramsey “You need to call the police—you’re in danger” #domesticabuseawareness #relationshipproblems #moneytips #daveramsey @Rachel Cruze ♬ original sound - Dave Ramsey

Immediately the woman begins to sob and briefly became frantic when Ramsey says one of the producers was going to call the police. After more talking to calm the woman she agrees she does need for the partner to leave the home. Ramsey offers to set up free counseling to the woman and to assist her with finances once she is safe, the call ends there.

In an update video, Ramsey shares that Dr. John Delony, a fellow co-host walks by as they're speaking to the distressed mother. Delony not only has a PhD in counselor education and supervision but has certifications in National Association of Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) and Group Crisis Intervention, Individual Crisis Assistance, Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Delony took over the call off air, explaining in the update that things got a little sticky while talking to the woman.

Planned Parenthood Relationship GIF by INTO ACTIONGiphy

"It was intense, mainly cause it was live. It was happening live and she was not...it wasn't philosophically unsafe, she was unsafe now, and somebody else had her kid. And then you've got this mom who needs to protect herself, but I'm not gonna leave my baby unprotected and now you've got a messy situation," Delony says before continuing. "Whenever I show up to something like that, I'm always looking at escalation trends. Is this thing slowing down are people separating are they just yelling at each other or is this thing moving up? And this one moved up real rapidly."


Thankfully, the police show up quickly while Delony is still speaking with Danielle and take the man into custody. When the update was shared the woman was safe with her family and Delony connected her with domestic violence services in her local area. The entire Ramsey team was on high alert pulling together to ensure the woman's safety. What an amazing job by all involved. Best wishes for a bright future for Danielle and her son Charlie.

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Dramatic video shows Chicago man risking his life rescuing a man electrocuted on train tracks

He was given an incredible reward for his actions.

via Damian Entwistle/Flickr

Chicago's red line train.

What makes somebody a hero these days? The term gets thrown around a lot. But usually it refers to someone who puts themselves at risk to selflessly assist another person, help a vulnerable animal or speak out when others stay silent. Heroes aren't born, they are made. And in a story first reported by a Bay Area ABC News affiliate in 2022, we get to see some incredible heroism caught on camera.

Things started when a fight broke out between two men at the 69th Street Red Line station in Chicago on Sunday and it spilled over to the tracks as a train came through, narrowly missing them, according to ABC. One man was electrocuted by the third rail that powers the train and was unconscious and convulsing on the tracks when the other scampered away. While a group of onlookers on the platform watched the unconscious man as he writhed on the tracks, 20-year-old Anthony Perry jumped down and lifted his body off the third rail to safety.

Perry then administered CPR with the help of a bystander. "It was definitely surreal," witness Tavi Ghee said according to ABC. "That was an out-of-body experience."

"There was a lady, I guess she had medical experience. She was talking me through on what to do. I feel like that was an angel from God. I ended up doing chest compressions and turning him on his side until the fire department got there," Perry said according to FOX 32.

Ghee took video of the amazing rescue. Warning: The following video is graphic.

Perry’s heroics were incredible because he risked his life by approaching the third rail. “Customers who enter CTA tracks, known as the rail right of way, face not only the danger of oncoming trains, but also that of the third rail, which carries 600 volts of electricity used to propel trains—a level of electricity that is almost always lethal,” the Chicago Transportation Authority's website warns.

The man who was electrocuted suffered a burn to his left leg and an abrasion to the mouth but was transported to the hospital in good condition. The man who he fought with has yet to be caught, but the Chicago police are looking for him.

Perry briefly touched the rail and had minor burns.

"I was hoping I could just grab him and not feel nothing, but I felt a little shock," Perry said. "I felt it all through my body actually. I didn't let that stop me,” Perry said according to ABC.

“When I looked back on the video and I listen, it sounded like everyone was in fear … no one actually did anything, they just wanted to record,” Perry said according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Perry was honored for his bravery on Tuesday with a ceremony with Chicago philanthropist Early Walker. Walker gave Perry a gas card for his bravery, knowing that he didn’t have a car.

But then a tow truck pulled up with a larger gift, an Audi A6.

The gift must have been a godsend for Perry, who has a 90-minute commute to work each day that requires him to take two buses and a train.

"We just wanted to honor you. We wanted to literally show our appreciation because we need more people like you. We need more Anthonys in the world. Everybody is about the views, about going viral but no one helps,” Walker said. “We just wanted to honor you, we want more Anthonys in the world.”

"Good does win," Perry said. "Good always wins!"

This article originally appeared two years ago.

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Security cam captures assistant principal and student's joyful mutual birthday celebration

"Love is the curriculum," says Assistant Principal Ford.

Arnold Ford/Instagram

Arnold Ford shares a birthday—and birthday joy—with one of his students.

When Arnold Ford went to work on his birthday in February of 2024, he knew he was in for a treat. One of his students, a girl named Cali, has the same birthday as he does, and Ford was ready. As soon as he saw Cali come bounding down the hallway with her arms spread wide, the assistant principal tossed his backpack aside, swooped the girl up and spun her around in joyful celebration.

Then the two raced down the hallway, arm in arm, so Cali could give him a balloon and a cupcake she had saved for him. All of this was captured on the security cameras at west Philadelphia's Mastery Charter School, Mann Elementary, and the footage has people cheering for amazing educators.

"I’m so grateful to God for allowing me to see another year," Ford wrote when he shared the video on his Instagram page. "I’m even more grateful that LOVE continues to be the centerpiece of my entire life."

"And… as you can see… I’m also grateful that I get to share a birthday with one of my favorite students," he continued. "And yes… she brought me a balloon and a cupcake, and in exchange, I told her she could dress down today. Fair trade if you ask me!

Watch:

People are gushing over the exchange in the comments.

"Do y'all teach 25th grade!? I need an elementary school experience do-over!" wrote one person.

"Bro my own parents never been that happy to see me 😭," wrote another.

"Can you imagine marinating in that love on a daily basis? What a gift this man is!" shared another.

Several people pointed out that no one else in the video so much as blinked, which is a testament to the fact that this wasn't out of the ordinary. Clearly, Mr. Ford brings this energy to work every day.

"I think it’s important for us to celebrate WITH our students and families," Ford tells Upworthy. "[Cali's] birthday is a big deal to her, and so is mine. We talk about it ALL year. So when that day came, what you saw was just a natural, genuine reaction that we both had. She was excited to be celebrating me, and I was excited to be celebrating her."

Educators like Ford can make such an enormous difference in children's lives, transforming a school into a place filled with positive interactions where kids know people genuinely care about and enjoy being around them. That's what Ford loves about his job as well.

"It really is the reciprocal nature of the work," he tells Upworthy. "We get so much more than we ever put out. Love. Joy. Laughter. The more we sow those things, we see them return exponentially in this work. That’s why when I often say 'Love is the curriculum,' it’s because I recognize how blessed I am to be able to put positivity and joy at the center of my experience with them. It’s humbling."

"In other words, I love that I don’t have to wait until Fridays to get paid." he adds.

Here's to Mr. Ford and all of the dedicated, incredible educators out there who pour their love into helping children learn and grow and thrive. They really do deserve all the balloons and cupcakes—and all the pay raises as well.

You can follow Arnold Ford on Instagram.


This article originally appeared in April.

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