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People are sharing good things happening in America that are flying under the radar

Don't let negative headlines overshadow the positive things happening all around us.

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

We can all use some good news, and thankfully, there's plenty of it.

When you watch or read the news, it can be easy to get down on the world. It's not your imagination that the news has a negativity bias. One study showed that headlines denoting anger, fear, disgust and sadness steadily increased from 2000 to 2019, making it even harder to stay informed without feeling a sense of despair or hopelessness.

But that doesn't meant that everything is bad. The reality is that there are wonderful things happening all around us that fly under the radar. Just because good news isn't flooding our social media feeds doesn't mean it isn't there—we just might have to dig through the muck and mire of the media to find it.

Or, as one person discovered, ask people to share in a Reddit thread.

When Reddit user u/NorthPengyyy asked the Ask Reddit board, "What is a good thing happening in the US right now that people aren’t aware of?" people delivered.

Check out these uplifting developments that might just restore your faith and hope in humanity.

1. There's a promising new drug treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

"We've discovered a drug that places a significant pause on Multiple Sclerosis progression and are in trials for what could very well be the cure." – Alarming-Series6627

As Neuroscience News shares, "A new small molecule drug targeting the glutamate system shows promise in treating MS, potentially repairing myelin damage. This innovative approach could revolutionize MS treatment."

2. Not only that, but a new "inverse vaccine" may revolutionize all autoimmune disease treatment

"Not only MS, but potentially all autoimmune disease, including crohns, T1 diabetes, arthritis, lyme, and even allergies." –AVeryHeavyBurtation

In the lab, a new "inverse vaccine," which removes the immune system’s memory of one molecule, showed an ability to completely reverse autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes without shutting down the rest of the immune system. Could be a gamechanger for autoimmune diseases.

3. Anonymous donor regularly hides thousands of dollars at a children's rehab center

"There's a guy in my hometown who hides thousands of dollars outside a children's rehab center, then calls the front desk and they have a little scavenger hunt until they find it. They then use the money to help families buy holiday gifts. No one knows who he is, but over the years, he's given over $100,000. It's usually front-page news when the year's donation comes in!" – violetmemphisblue

How much fun must that be, both for the anonymous donor and for the employees and kids?

4. A judge in California thought there must be a better solution than locking young young people away for life. So he created an amazing, innovative educational alternative.

Superior Court Judge John Phillips had grown tired of seeing so many young people come through his courtroom and having no recourse but what the system provided—mostly jail time. So he created what he saw they needed. It's called Rancho Cielo and it's a place where kids who are at risk of falling into criminality go for education, support, enrichment. Here they won't fall through the cracks and they are able to become their best selves. Read more about how and why it works here.

5. New treatments for brain cancer have arrived after a long lull

"There is a new treatment for my brain cancer. There have been NO advancements in like 40 years. I should be able to take it next year and it will hopefully delay my tumor growth.

It’s pretty exciting. I have done two clinical trials. One did not pan out. The other one they won’t have the information for probably another 6-10 years." – chasingcomet2

This person could be talking about a new drug that's showing promise for brain cancer that develops in the young, or they could be referring to an immunotherapy treatment for glioblastoma, or perhaps another treatment. The science is moving along quickly on this front!

6. Sea stars are making a comeback after being largely wiped out

"The sea stars on the west coast are returning after suffering a wasting disease a few years back." – suitopseudo

sea star on a rock by the sea

Sea stars are on their way back.

Photo by geoff trodd on Unsplash

In 2013, sea stars (also commonly called starfish) began dying in droves when a wasting disease swept through the population. Thankfully, scientists now have some idea of what caused that deadly epidemic and we've seen an increase in the number of sea stars in Washington, Oregon and northern California after the mass die-off.

7. Americans might soon save on tax filing, thanks to a new IRS program

"The IRS is testing a program in 2024 that will let most people file their taxes for free right at their website, so that should save people a little cash this spring." – ndorox

Yes, calculating and paying taxes is an annoying and tedious process, which is why anything that makes it easier is a good thing.

8. Honeybees are making a comeback, too

"After some really scary news in the late 00's, bee populations have been steadily on the rebound." – CryptoCentric

It's true. Yay for the honeybees!

9. And apparently, so is Detroit. (Go Detroit!)

"Detroit is supposedly making a comeback." – MoreCowsThanPeople

"Can confirm! Certain areas are for real pretty nice and a lot of hip businesses have popped up. It's still a very weird city. You have a gorgeous church or historical venue and two doors down, a burned out building. The blight is diminishing though and it's good to see." – sane-ish

"Lowest crime in 60 years! Downtown Detroit is having a moment right now." – TheDadThatGrills

10. We're kicking cancer's butt all over the place.

"We're killing cancer. Look at cancer survival rates over the last five years." – TheDadThatGrills

In addition to the cancers referenced above, there have been huge leaps in breast cancer treatments and even treatments for aggressive cancers that used to mean a dire prognosis. We still have a long way to go, but the strides made on the cancer front the past decade have been nothing short of remarkable.

11. Local goodness abounds in communities everywhere.

"I look in my community. COVID has changed a lot. Ordinary people are helping out ordinary people either openly or in secret.

"There’s a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant near me. Not great food. But good amounts for cheap. I wondered why it had so many customers. They feed the homeless in the community. Some come and ask for food. Or some help at closing and in exchange get food. They never say no and happily give them food and even ask if they want chips and salsa. As a way of contributing, customers leave huge tips.

"When my friend was diagnosed with breast cancer her old next door neighbor couple took care of her yard and checked in on her." –ClayWheelGirl

"Every year in Atlanta and surrounding areas Clark Howard (and affiliates) raise donations to give literally every single kid in foster care gifts of their choosing for Christmas morning. They make the quota every year, and participating in it is a Christmas tradition at my house. Google Clark's Christmas Kids and give what you can." – LarvellJonesMD·

"Last year I left a Domestic Violence situation and had basically nothing, but my kid got an unexpectedly huge haul from 'Santa.' It was like, 3 huge garbage bags full of toys and clothes. This year she started school and we had to classify her as homeless for her school paperwork because we live with my parents (it was required--I tried to get out of doing it) so she's always getting offers for help from different organizations. We decline them, but it's good to know they exist for those who are truly in need." – NeedsMoreTuba

"Despite a tornado ripping through my town on Saturday, our community has banded together and there are more volunteers and supplies than the churches and schools can manage! People showing up to serve hot meals, loaning generators, taking in fur babies, and cleaning up." – reggaeisanotherbag

12. People are realizing we need more positive news

"This thread does wonders for my mental health. Wow, what a bit of positivity does." – Beliriel

"I'm so used to doom scrolling that I didn't realize how desperately deprived I was of whatever dopamine you could get from good news, but these comments woke it up. Thank you everyone." – Critical_Escape7745

"This thread gives me hope. For the first time in a long time." – JoKatHW

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Naming twins is an art. Here are some twin names people say are the best they've ever heard.

With twins, all the regular pressures of having a baby are doubled, including choosing a name.

Photo credit: Canva

Are you in favor of rhyming twin names? Or is it too cutesy?

Having twins means double the fun, and double the pressure. It’s a fairly known rule to name twins in a way that honors their unique bond, but that can lead to overly cutesy pairings that feel more appropriate for nursery rhyme characters than actual people. Plus, it’s equally important for the names to acknowledge each twin’s individuality. Again, these are people—not a matching set of dolls. Finding the twin baby name balance is easier said than done, for sure.

Luckily, there are several ways to do this. Names can be linked by style, sound or meaning, according to the baby name website Nameberry. For example, two names that share a classic style would be Elizabeth and Edward, whereas Ione and Lionel share a similar rhythm. And Frederica and Milo seem to share nothing in common, but both mean “peaceful.”

Over on the /NameNerds subreddit, one person asked folks to share their favorite twin name pairings, and the answers did not disappoint.

One person wrote “Honestly, for me it’s hard to beat the Rugrats combo of Phillip and Lillian (Phil and Lil) 💕”

A few parents who gave their twin’s names that didn’t inherently rhyme until nicknames got involved:

"It's the perfect way! Christmas cards can be signed cutely with matching names, but when they act out you can still use their full name without getting tripped up.😂"

"The parents of a good friend of mine did this: her name is Allison and her sister is Callie. Their names don’t match on the surface, but they were Alli and Callie at home."

“Alice and Celia, because they’re anagrams! Sound super different but have a not-so-obvious implicit connection.”

This incited an avalanche of other anagram ideas: Aidan and Nadia, Lucas and Claus, Liam and Mila, Noel and Leon, Ira and Ria, Amy and May, Ira and Ari, Cole and Cleo…even Alice, Celia, and Lacie for triplets.

Others remembered name pairs that managed to sound lovely together without going into cutesy territory.

twin names, twins, babies, baby namesThese matching bunny ears though. Photo credit: Canva

“I know twin toddler boys named Charlie and Archie and they go so well together,” one person commented.

Another wrote, “Tamia and Aziza. I love how they follow the same sound pattern with the syllable endings (-uh, -ee, -uh) without being obnoxiously matchy matchy.”

Still another said, “Lucy and Logan, fraternal girl/boy twins. I think the names sound so nice together, and definitely have the same 'vibe' and even though they have the same first letter they aren't too matchy-matchy.”

Other honorable mentions included: Colton and Calista, Caitlin and Carson, Amaya and Ameera, Alora and Luella, River and Rosie, and Eleanor and Elias.

One person cast a vote for shared style names, saying, “If I had twins, I would honestly just pick two different names that I like separately. I tend to like classic names, so I’d probably pick Daniel and Benjamin for boys. For girls my two favorites right now are Valerie and Tessa. I think Val and Tess would be cute together!”

Overall though, it seems that most folks were fans of names that focused on shared meaning over shared sound. Even better if there’s a literary or movie reference thrown in there.

twin names, twins, babies, baby namesMany adult twins regret that their names are so closely linked together. Photo credit: Canva

“My mom works in insurance, so I asked her. She’s seen a lot of unique ones, but the only twins she remembers are Gwenivere [sic] and Lancelot... bonus points... little brother was Merlin,” one person recalled.

Another shared, “If I had twin girls, I would name them Ada and Hedy for Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr, both very early computer/tech pioneers. Not that I’m that into tech, I just thought it was a brilliant combination.”

Other great ones: Susan and Sharon (think the original “Parent Trap”), Clementine and Cara (types of oranges), Esme and Etienne (French descent), Luna and Stella (moon and stars), Dawn and Eve, plus various plant pairings like Lily and Fern, Heather and Holly, and Juniper and Laurel.

Perhaps the cleverest name pairing goes to “Aubrey and Zoe,” since…wait for it… “they’re A to Z.”

It’s easy to see how naming twins really is a cool opportunity for parents to get creative and intentional with their baby naming. It might be a challenge, sure, but the potential reward is having the most iconic set of twins ever. Totally worth it!


This article originally appeared last year.

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A meteorologist's cat crashed his at-home forecast and became his beloved co-host

Betty the Weathercat brought smiles and comfort to millions during the pandemic.

Jeff Lyons 14 News/Facebook

A meteorologist's cat bombed his at-home forecast and became his beloved co-host.

2020 was a weird one. While we were all doing our best to stay safe during a global pandemic, institutions that had been in our lives for decades were forced to evolve. School was hosted virtually, restaurants got rid of paper menus, and even the news was being broadcast from living rooms and home offices all over the country.

During the early days of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Indiana's 14 First Alert Chief Meteorologist Jeff Lyons set up a green screen in his living room and gave weather forecasts from home during the lockdown. Soon, he gained a surprising costar.

Although Lyons was used to broadcasting alone, he quickly gained a new partner to share the weather with—his cat, Betty.

Betty made her debut when she wanted some attention during a weather broadcast. Lyons picked up the fluffy feline and cradled her in his arms while he talked about the weather. The response was so great, the station shared a little behind-the-scenes green screen fun with Betty and the clip that ended up airing on television.

Over a million people watched the clip in April of 2020, with Lyons' forecast reaching far, far beyond his usual Indiana audience.


"I vote for all future weather reports to have Betty in them" one commenter on Facebook wrote.

"My new favorite weather guy.... and I don't even live anywhere near the area (from NJ) but how can anyone not love Betty" another added.

Betty soon became a regular on Lyons' television appearances. Sometimes, she'd just hang out and watch her human do his professional human thing.

However, like all cats, Betty didn't always like to perform when requested. (Like how they only want to sit on your lap when you're trying to work. Cats gonna be cats.)



People fell in love with Betty's cameos in Lyons' from-home forecasts. Viewers started sharing photos of their own cats on Lyons' Facebook page, and fans began tuning in from around the world to see Betty being Betty.

Pets were such a huge piece of everyone's lives during the pandemic, as people found themselves spending more time at home and less time with other living, breathing beings. Lyons' relationship with his cat personified the connection we all craved at the time, and it made people feel a little less lonely.

Sadly, Betty the Weathercat, as she came to be known, passed away in 2023. Viewers were heartbroken:


"We will love and remember Betty forever. She brought such brightness into the Covid gloom…appropriate for a Weather Cat!" wrote a viewer on instagram.

"Her onscreen joy lives on. Rest well beautiful girl" said another.

"She was quite the personality & your stories of her were such fun. Wow, 16 years is a great life. Thank you for sharing her," someone added.

Betty had been with these viewers through one of the darkest times in many of their lives, so saying goodbye wasn't easy.

But Lyons has adopted two new cats since (Bobby and Cissy), and together, they're doing their best to honor Betty's legacy. Although they don't join Lyons on broadcasts nearly as often.



"Everybody knows I'm a softie ! We couldn't resist this brother and sister team of Bobby (black cat) and Cissy (tuxedo cat) at the Vanderburgh Humane Society ! They are 4 months old orphans who have come to live with us. I'm sure they sense Betty's spirit (and a few furs) around the house," Lyons wrote in a post from December 2023.

To this day, he shares photos and videos of his new Weathercats reacting to heat waves, thunderstorms, and dry spells. Even though Betty is longer with him, she helped propel Lyons to a new level of fame and he will always be known as the Weathercat guy: a role he seems to be more than OK with.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.


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Beavers were brought to the desert to save a dying river. 6 years later, here are the results.

Their engineering feats are pretty dam incredible.

Canva Photos

Can outsider beavers save this dried up river?

It's not easy being a river in the desert under the best of circumstances. The ecosystem exists in a very delicate balance, allowing water sources to thrive in the harsh conditions. These water sources in otherwise extremely dry areas are vital to the survival of unique wildlife, agriculture, and even tourism as they provide fresh drinking water for the people who live nearby.

But man-made problems like climate change, over-farming, and pollution have made a tough job even tougher in some areas. Rivers in Utah and Colorado that are part of the Colorado River Basin have been barely surviving the extremely harsh drought season. When the riverbeds get too dry, fish and other aquatic creatures die off and the wildfire risk increases dramatically.

About six years ago, one team of researchers had a fascinating idea to restore the health of some of Utah's most vulnerable rivers: Bring in the beavers.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change Beaver in water. Photo by Svetozar Cenisev on Unsplash

In 2019, master's student Emma Doden and a team of researchers from Utah State University began a "translocation" project to bring displaced beavers to areas like Utah's Price River, in the hopes of bringing it back to life.

Why beavers? It just makes dam sense! (Sorry.)

Beaver dams restrict the flow of water in some areas of a river, creating ponds and wetlands. In drought-stricken areas, fish and other wildlife can take refuge in the ponds while the rest of the river runs dry, thus riding out the danger until it rains again.

When beavers are present in a watershed, the benefits are unbelievable: Better water quality, healthier fish populations, better nutrient availability, and fewer or less severe wildfires.

It's why beavers have earned the title of "keystone species," or any animal that has a disproportionate impact on the ecosystem around them.

Doden and her team took beavers who were captured or removed from their original homes due to being a "nuisance," interfering with infrastructure, or being in danger, and—after a short period of quarantine—were brought to the Price River.

Despite the research team's best efforts, not all the translocated beavers have survived or stayed put over the years. Some have trouble adapting to their new home and die off or are killed by predators, while others leave of their own accord.

But enough have stayed and built dams since 2019 that the team is starting to see the results of the effort. In fact, beaver projects just like this one have been going on all over the state in recent years.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The water levels in the river are now the healthiest they've been in years. The fish are thriving. Residents of Utah are overjoyed at the results of the experiment.

A column in The Salt Lake Tribune from 2025 (six years after the beaver translocation began) writes that the revitalization of the Price River "helped save our Utah town."

"A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper. On a warm day, you’re likely to find the river filled with tourists and locals kayaking, tubing and fishing along its shore. A decade ago, it was hard to imagine this scene—and the thriving recreation economy that comes with it—was possible."

Of course, it wasn't JUST the beavers. Other federal water cleanup investments helped remove debris, break down old and malfunctioning dams, and place tighter regulations on agriculture grazing in the area that depleted vital plant life.

But the experts know that the beavers, and their incredible engineering work, are the real MVPs.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price RiverPublic Domain

In other drying, struggling rivers in the area, researchers are bringing in beavers and even creating manmade beaver dams. They're hoping that the critters will take over the job as the rivers get healthier.

Utah's San Rafael river, which is in bleak condition, is a prime candidate. In on area of the river, a natural flood inspired a host of beavers to return to the area and "riparian habitat along that stretch had increased by 230%, and it had the most diverse flow patterns of anywhere on the river," according to KUER.

It's hard to believe that beavers nearly went extinct during the heyday of the fur trapping industry, and continued to struggle as they were considered nuisances and pests. Now, they're getting the respect they deserve as engineer marvels, and their populations have rebounded due to better PR and conservation programs.

To that I say...it's about dam time!

This article originally appeared in June.

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Woman gives stray cat the most Gen X name ever, and her friend can't stand it

As if?

via Canva/Photos

A woman making a "loser" sign and a shocked cat.

There are no hard-set rules for naming a cat, but if you want to follow the current trends, give them a cute-sounding human name. Over the past two years, the top five most popular cat names have been Luna, followed by Charlie, Lucy, Bella, and Leo.

No matter what type of name it is, it can also be hard to settle on one for a new cat because it’s what you’ll be calling out for the next 12-plus years. What if you name the cat Jerry, but it acts like a Sebastian or a Michael? Then what will you do? Two friends got into a spat over naming a cat, with the new owner rejecting their friend’s suggestions in favor of a term popular among Gen Xers in the ‘80s and ‘90s.


“I found a little stray cat in front of the grocery store. Super friendly but skinny and obviously abandoned,” A Redditor with the username SpecialEggSalad wrote. “My friend was with me and kept throwing out names. I didn’t like any of them. It was Ross, Beck, Tucker, Zorro… I asked her to just chill. She was getting worked up and kept asking if she could have the kitten. [It’s] My kitty. Anyway, after 20 minutes of her, just suggesting endless amounts of names…She got mad and said, ‘Fine, call him whatever you want.’ So now the cat's name is WHATEVER.”


When SpecialEggSlad announced the cat’s name, her friend “turned red in the face and she was about to cry.” It could be that the friend hated the feeling of rejection, but if she grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, she’d understand that being on the receiving end of a “whatever” was quite the insult.

What did 'whatever' mean to Gen X?

You see, Gen Xers were known for having an aloof attitude because, in those days, caring too much about anything was totally uncool. So whatever was more than a catchphrase was a way of life. The term became popular in the early ‘80s when Valley Girl speak expanded from Los Angeles to the world. But what began as innocuous slang evolved into something more nihilistic. In Nirvana’s breakout 1991 anthem, Smells Like Teen Spirit, where Kurt Cobain ditches any attempt at making a point in the song by singing, “Oh well, whatever, never mind.” Whatever was a way of distancing yourself from the powers-that-be, whether it was political, religious, corporate, or the media.


The term was also part of ‘90s hand-gesture culture, where people would call someone a loser by making an L with their index and middle fingers and placing it on their forehead. In Clueless, the affluent teens used two hands to merge the double Ls into a W, to signal “whatever,” with a double loser casher. Business Insider’s Emily Stewart notes that Gen X’s attitude comes from being raised as the least parented generation in recent memory. “Gen X's ‘whatever’ attitude has translated to a society that's perpetually a little ‘whatever’ about them,” she wrote.


It may be a knock on Gen Xers that they were once so nihilistic that they rallied around the term whatever, but it’s also a sign of knowing what’s important. A lot is going on in the world, and we only have so many Fs to give; it’s best to hand them out to the people who deserve them. Because when you care about everything, it’s hard to truly care about anything.

In the Reddit post, SpecialEggSlad faced criticism from commenters for naming her cat Whatever, which made it look like she didn’t care about the animal. Realizing this, she changed the cat’s name to Peekaboo. Let’s just hope the kitty grows into its name and isn’t a cat that refuses to hide, even if given an incredibly cozy cardboard box.

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Popular pet rescue advocate explains why she supports 'kill shelters' and it's eye-opening

She makes some excellent points.

Photo credit: Canva (left), Isabel Klee/TikTok used with permission (right)

Isabel Klee explains why "kill shelter" is a misnomer.

Isabel Klee has created a name for herself in the animal rescue world with daily videos documenting the heart wrenching and heartwarming transformations of the pets she rehabilitates. In early 2025, millions of people got sucked into the saga of Isabel's foster dog, Tiki, who came to Isabel completely traumatized and shut down. Under her care, Tiki slowly but surely learned to trust and began to thrive, and people loved seeing him become the brave, playful, loving, dog he was always meant to be.

Now Isabel has a message for her audience that might feel counterintuitive for animal lovers but is also something that can't be ignored. In a video captioned, "Just because you turn away from a problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist," Isabel surprisingly encourages people to "support your local 'kill shelter.'"

@simonsits

Just because you turn away from a problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist

She shares that a "no kill" rescue shelter that she has worked with before had posted something "extremely harmful." In a video against spay abort practices, the shelter said "overpopulation is a myth." Isabel describes "spay abort" as "the ethical procedure that a rescue organization does when they find a pregnant animal and choose to spay them…so that we aren't contributing to the already critical level of overpopulation happening in shelters around the country."

Isabel explained how overpopulation is very much not a myth and why she doesn't agree with the terms "kill" and "no kill" to describe shelters.

"I feel it creates an us vs. them narrative," she says. "I also think it's all about marketing, where the 'no kill' shelters are the heroes and the 'kill' shelters are absolutely horrible."

animal rescue, animal welfare, animal shelter, pet adoption, pet fostering 'Kill shelters' are really just open-intake shelters, which means they don't turn any animal away.Photo credit: Canva

"In reality," she continues, "kill shelters are open intake municipal shelters. This means they take in every single animal that comes to their door. They take in strays. They take in owner surrenders. They take in medical cases. They take behavioral cases. […] They are not able to say no, even when the dog has no place to go."

"No kill" shelters, she explains, are largely privately-owned shelters that are closed intake, meaning that they can pick and choose which animals they accept. They can turn animals away and control their population.

"Now, there's nothing wrong with that," Isabel says. "In fact, these privately-owned rescues and shelters are so important. But to villainize municipal shelters is just wrong. And for a 'no kill' shelter to say that overpopulation is a myth is frankly just insulting."

Isabel wants to be clear: "Just because you turn away from the problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It exists every single day, day in and day out."

animal shelter, cats, animal rescue, pet adoption, foster pets Animal shelters can easily become overpopulated.Photo credit: Canva

"I truly believe that the state of animal rescue is at a tipping point," she says. "And pitting people against each other who are all on the same side is not helpful. Shelters need rescues, rescues need shelters, everyone needs fosters, and the world needs proper, science-backed education."

People who have worked at both kinds of shelters are sharing their own experiences that corroborate what Isabel is saying:

"I’m a shelter director in the deep South & I can assure you we all dream of never having to euthanize but overpopulation is not a myth. We’re drowning."

"THIS THIS THIS TIMES A ZILLION. We are technically a 'no kill' shelter but all that means is that when we are full, we don't take more on...and guess where those animals have to go? If you care about the animals, support whichever shelter is local to you. We all need help."

"I started a nonprofit to support our local open intake, high volume shelter in Texas. The amount of hate that we get is wild when the shelter is really just dealing with a larger community problem."

stray dogs, animal shelter, animal rescue, pet adoption, foster dogs Stray animal overpopulation is a big problem in places all over the U.S.Photo credit: Canva

"As a former shelter worker, there is no such thing as a 'no kill' shelter anyways. only 'low kill' just because they don’t euthanize of space doesn’t mean they don’t euthanize."

"Spay aborts are one of the hardest decisions any rescue or shelter has to make. I’m on the board at our local animal rescue and we have previously done spay aborts and it’s always very hard for us."

"Thank you! I’ve worked at both and it’s exactly that. We had to take in every animal no matter what at the “kill” shelter whereas “no-kill” or rescues, we could just say no we’re full. And neither place takes euthanasia or saying no lightly. We want to help every animal but are given only bad choices because YES, WE ARE IN AN OVERPOPULATION CRISIS."

animal rescue, animal shelters, no kill shelter, pet adoption, foster pets Both "kill" and "no kill" shelters need support.Photo credit: Canva

"I got my beautiful baby from a kill shelter! They were about to euthanize him because of the insane amount of animals being brought in after Helene. The workers were so relieved when I got him, some even crying. They don’t want to euthanize."

The reality is that no one who cares about animals wants to euthanize them, but municipal shelters that don't turn away any animals have limits to their capacity. What's to be done when the limit is breached? What alternatives are there? Do those animals get tossed out onto the street to suffer, potentially becoming a danger to other animals and people? Is that really preferable to humane euthanasia of those unlikely to be adopted due to illness or behavioral problems when a shelter is already overpopulated and there aren't enough people to take them in? And how do we prevent overpopulation in the first place? These questions aren't easy, and people working in those shelters are the ones in the thick of it trying to figure out the best answers. Vilifying those folks is most certainly not the solution.

animal rescue, foster dog, pet adoption, animal shelter, animal welfare Animal rescues try to home as many animals as they can, but demand is greater than supply in many places.Photo credit: Canva

In addition to population control through spay and neuter efforts, what is really needed are more people to foster and adopt. If you are interested and able to care for an animal either temporarily or long-term, contact your local animal shelter or rescue. The more responsible humans we have to care for the animals in need of a home, the less we'll have to debate the terminology we use for overcrowded shelters and worry about the methods used to manage a currently unmanageable problem.

You can follow Isabel Klee on TikTok (@simonsits).

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