Lucky dogs who 'fell out of the sky' survive a plane crash and are adopted by their rescuers
Finding their forever home was a bumpy ride.

These are some lucky dogs.
Let’s first put your mind at ease—yes, there was a plane crash involving more than 50 shelter dogs but they all survived.
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, a twin engine aircraft transporting the canines from Louisiana to Wisconsin crash landed on a golf course at the Western Lakes Golf Club in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. But—as ABC News assured—all the dogs, along with the three people onboard, survived. The worst injuries were just a few bumps and scrapes.
With that out of the way, let’s get to how this unexpected event led to many pups finding their forever homes much sooner than anticipated.
Apparently, it was love at first rescue for the first responders who arrived on the scene. "As soon as I found out all of them were OK, my first thought was: one of them is coming home with me. So this is my little Lucky,” Elle Steitzer, a firefighter and EMT at Lake Country Fire Rescue, told ABC Milwaukee affiliate WISN 12 while cradling her newly adopted furry friend.
Similarly, Amber Christian, a firefighter and paramedic at the department, told WISN 12 that her new dog Artemis "just kind of fell out of the sky in front of me, so here he is."
Marley, the last named pup in the article, allegedly jumped into the arms of Deputy Chief Tony Wasielewski right after the crash. Wasielewski went in to find her the next day. "When they let her in the door she bypassed my wife and ran to me, jumped into my arms, gave me kisses. I started to tear up a little bit and said, 'Oh boy, I guess we got a dog,'" he shared.
“Several first responders on the crash scene of a plane transporting 53 shelter dogs have adopted the dogs they helped rescue. One rescue gave the workers "first dibs."”
— GerdasEquineRescue (@GerdasEquineRes) November 20, 2022
https://t.co/h6k0zJ8cyO
The remaining doggos were taken to various shelters throughout Wisconsin. And by the sound of it, folks couldn’t wait to take them home. Elmbrook Humane Society, which took 11 dogs, gave "first dibs" to the first responders of the plane crash. And as Stephanie Deswarte, the shelter’s front desk manager, told ABC News, there were quite a few calls.
Though people aren’t normally allowed to adopt before a dog goes up on the website (to keep things fair), Deswarte thought that the situation called for an exception, “since they were obviously in the thick of it, and they did such a great job trying to help with the whole crazy situation.” As of Nov. 22, puppies Charlie Brown, Linus and Sally have been adopted, and another first responder plans to take one home on Saturday.
First Responders Adopt Dogs They Rescued from Plane Crash in Wisconsin: 'Fell Out of the Sky' https://t.co/8Q5QlNIUox
— People (@people) November 20, 2022
While the cause of the crash is still unclear and under investigation, it’s a huge comfort to know that not only was no one hurt, but that it ended up saving many dogs from shelters. According to the ASPCA, around 3.1 million dogs enter shelters each year, with approximately 390,000 being euthanized. In many ways, these sweet pups escaped death twice. A double whammy, heartwarming, tail-wagging miracle all around.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."