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Woman saved an 'aggressive, unadoptable' cat from euthanasia. It was clearly a good call.

"Grumpy Barbara" had been found with her owner a week after he died.

Photo credit: Canva

Cats can be aggressive for many reasons, but this one was heartbreaking.

Just as you can't judge a book by its cover, you can't judge an animal by their behavior at an animal shelter. Barbara the cat (also known as "Grumpy Barbara") had been through a traumatic experience before she was surrendered to a local shelter. Her long-time owner had died and she was found with his body a week later. She and her human dad had had a strong bond—it had been just the two of them living together her whole life—and clearly losing him affected her behavior. The man's family brought her to the shelter because they couldn't handle her, and the shelter workers didn't have much luck with her, either.

Barbara was aggressive with everyone and deemed "unadoptable." When an animal is brought to an open intake shelter and thought to be a danger to humans and other animals, euthanasia is often seen as the only option. But animal rescue advocate Beth Stern felt like Barbara deserved a chance, so she took her in as a foster.

cat, aggressive cat, angry cat, rescue cat, hissing cat Aggressive cats can be scary.Photo credit: Canva

"It was a challenge I wasn't necessarily prepared for," Stern told GeoBeats Animals. "She did not want to see me or talk to me."

Barbara hid in Stern's floorboard in her closet for a week, only coming out at night to eat, drink and use the litter box. It took about a month before Stern was able to touch the volatile kitty, and then she went through several phases of Barbara chasing and attacking her.

"We were both scared of each other," Stern said. "I had to wear knee-high boots to protect myself from her." But she didn't give up on Barbara.

Finally, one night at around 3:00 a.m., Stern woke up to find Barbara purring beside her ear and then nuzzling into her chin. Like flipping a switch, Barbara went from fearful and aggressive to cuddly and affectionate with Stern.

"She became almost suffocatingly affectionate," Stern said. "She follows me around. She will sit with me when I'm working. If I'm on my phone, she wants me to get off my phone."

Barbara had a complete turnaround with Stern, leading commenters to the conclusion that she was traumatized and grieving the loss of her owner. She needed time to be able to trust and feel safe to bond with a human again, which Stern gave her.

"The most valuable lesson I learned from a cat like Barbara is that humans impose their own needs on animals," said Stern, "and understandably they want to feel a bond, but it's much more important to give them the space to tell you what they need first and adapt around that."

People shared their own Barbara-like stories of aggressive animals they adopted who took varying lengths of time to come around:

"My grandfather passed away and I was told his cat Lucy escaped his house. She was in the house hiding and was alone for two weeks without food or a litter box. I brought her home and it took a year for her to come out of my room and be social with her cat sibling and my two cats. She was traumatized. She used to only let me pet her while she was eating. We can pet her more now. It just takes time. ❤️❤️"

"Sounds like our Pearly Pearl. Her momma had to enter care when she was 13. She was about to be euthanized because no one could get near her after months of trying when I got a call asking if we would consider her. She would launch herself across the room and attack you. I had to be fully covered at any interaction. 6 months later she decided we’re were not going to eat her and from then on, she became more loving daily. She’s become the sweetest little cuddle bug and demands to be cuddled and follows us around like a puppy. She just needed time to trust."

pets, cat, cuddly cat, animal rescue, foster animals Some aggressive cats just need time to feel comfortable and safe.Photo credit: Canva

"We took on a kitten that had been returned to the breeder by three different groups because she didn’t like to be touched. At all, she was not socialized (story behind this of course) The breeder told everybody this,but they didn’t listen. We lost one of our cats and the breeder decided to try one last time with us. The agreement was it didn’t matter if she never let us touch her. Same story, and same ending. Now she’s the most affectionate of cats. It took about four months before she let me touch her and now she will not let me go anywhere without her."

However, one commenter pointed out that not all aggressive animals become affectionate like Barbara or the other cats people described, but that doesn't mean they don't also deserve a loving home.

"Thirteen years ago, I adopted an aggressive cat who was scheduled to be euthanized. Not all cats will come around like Barbara. My cat is still aggressive. I cannot hold her or pet her, but I love her and she has a happy, safe home that she loves, despite her behaviour. She is permitted to be herself. Please don't adopt an aggressive pet unless you are committed to whatever may be. Some just don't ever heal from their past but they still need safety, understanding and compassion."

cat, aggressive cat, rescue animals, foster animals, pet adoption Not all aggressive cats will become affectionate, but they still need a home. Photo credit: Canva

The reality is there are too many animals for shelters to care for and without people to step up and foster or adopt them, a percentage of them are going to be put down. Stern is an example of someone willing to give a problematic animal a chance for a caring home, which the world desperately needs more of.

You can follow Grumpy Barbara on Instagram.

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Third graders wrote these adorably persuasive descriptions for local shelter animals

A Pennsylvania teacher partnered with a shelter to create the purrfect writing assignment.

Photo credit: Canva

Kids writing shelter animal descriptions is a win-win all around.

For kids, school assignments can often feel disconnected from the real world. Math story problems that ask how many pancakes could fit on a roof, for example, or essay questions about things they're just not interested in. For teachers, finding ways to engage students in learning in a meaningful way can be a challenge, but one teacher's approach to teaching writing shows how a little creativity and community-mindedness can create a win-win assignment for everyone.

Amy McKinney, a teacher in Pennsylvania, was teaching her third graders about persuasive writing. But rather than have them formulate an argument for an imagined audience, McKinney partnered with a local animal shelter to give her students an authentic audience to write for—and a super compelling reason to persuade them.

"Our class teamed up with an animal shelter to help their pets get adopted!" McKinney wrote on Instagram. "We were sent a short description and a photo of each pet. My students each chose one pet to write about and sent our essays to the shelter to display and post to their social media channels."

“My students’ engagement was tremendous!" she added. "They knew the work they were doing would make a huge difference in a pet’s life, so what normally takes us a couple of weeks to do, we completed in just days.”

Knowing that something you're doing could have a real-world impact is a strong incentive, no matter what your age, but considering how much kids usually love animals, it's no surprise the kids were into it. Animal shelters are always looking for ways to get furever homes for the animals in their care, so this assignment was truly purrfect.

The first-person (or first-animal) descriptions the kids came up with were cute and clever. Imagine seeing write-ups like these ones and trying to say no to the cute furry faces they go with :

Hi, my name is Peaches & all I want is a family. ADOPT ME PLEASE. I’m very sweet. I like to be petted. I have a unique color. I have built in highlights. Please can I have a family to love? The months here feel like forever. Obviously, I’m the best one of all.

Adopt me, please! I love other dogs! I’m Pete and I enjoy other dogs. To begin with, if you have another dog I’d be great. Second of all, I am only 20 pounds at 5 years old. I’m not a big dog so. You could probably lift me up. Lastly, I’m kind of shy but I’ll warm up. All I need is a little baby talk and some petting. Please adopt me. All I want is a family. Can’t you just help me?

Have you ever seen a dog as cute as me? HI, I’m Judd! I would love to be a part of your family. I’m super cute, I’m goofy, and love people. I would love to go with an energetic family and I’m wonderful. I was born on 5/25/2018. I’ve been in the shelter for about a year and I would love to go home with you. I want to go on adventures with a family! I love spending time with humans and I love running around. That is why you should adopt me. I’ll be waiting for you to come to get me!

Hi! My name is Julia. Have you ever seen such a cute cat as me? I would love to be in your family. First, I love head scratches. If you bring me home we could cuddle. Next, I am very sweet. I will come up to you to receive love. Last, I am energetic. I love running around. As you can see, I am a really great cat to have!

Don’t worry I’m not bad luck even though I am black! My name is Ursula. Please adopt me! First, I like to snuggle. I am nice don’t worry I won’t scratch! Second, I like head scratches. While we snuggle you can scratch my head. Most importantly, I am really small. When you need something you can’t reach, I’ll get it! Now you know you can adopt me.

Have you ever seen such adorable eyes and fur? My name is Bandit. I’ve been here too long. First would love a home to snuggle. If you bring me home we will cuddle. Next, I don’t enjoy being in the shelter. I don’t like being in a small cage. Last I am shy but enjoy being petted. I love getting scratched on the head. Obviously, I’m the best one!

The kids even drew pictures to go along with their persuasive descriptions, which made them all the more adorable.

Lots of teachers in the comments said they planned to contact animal shelters in their area and do something similar with their students. Here's to teachers thinking outside the box—and outside the classroom—to help their students apply their learning to the real world.

You can follow Amy McKinney on her Instagram page, The Unique Classroom.

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A teen who was homeless gets his beloved dog back and a place to live thanks to strangers

The then 17-year-old was living under a bridge when he brought Jada to the shelter with a bag of dog food and a blanket.

WREG News Channel 3/YouTube

A teen who was living under a bridge took his puppy to a shelter when he could no longer care for her.

A homeless teen was given shelter and reunited with his pup after a community rallied around the pair following a heartwrenching and selfless story of surrender.

The anonymous then-17-year-old arrived at the Senatobia-Tate County Animal Shelter in Mississippi with a Rottweiler/German shepherd puppy named Jada and a bag of dog food.

“He came in and he asked if he could leave his dog here and I said, ‘Buddy, we are so full,’" Interim Shelter Director Kris Robinson told WREG News. "And he said, ‘Well, I can’t take care of her anymore.’ He said, ‘I live under a bridge,’ and it broke my heart.”

The young man told Robinson he had been living in a tent with the dog, but she had broken out of the tent when he went to find work. Then he said he didn't even have a tent anymore and couldn't afford to feed her.

Robinson agreed to take Jada, despite the shelter not having room for her, and shared a post about the surrender on Facebook.

"This is where she layed [sic] after her owner surrendered her today with her plastic bag of dog food and a blanket," the post reads. "She is devastated. I can’t be mad at her owner though. He is 17, says he lives under a bridge in Tate county. He WALKED her all the way to the shelter and asked us to please take her because he can’t afford to keep her. She’s about 4 mos old and she kept herself pinned to his legs while he was here. We are full but how could we not take her in."

Support for the dog and the teen poured in, with people saying they wanted to do something to help, which moved Robinson to tears.

“For this young man to just be 17 and down on his luck, and no matter what problems he’s facing, he still took the time to walk her over her and make sure somebody was going to take care of her," Robinson told WREG. "I think that says a lot about his character."

The teen filled out a surrender form with a little bit of information about himself, which was enough for Robinson to pass along to people who could help him. The town doesn't have an official homeless shelter, but with the assistance of several community members, the Senatobia police were able to locate the young man and ensure his safety. Local churches have offered assistance, and he has gotten set up with a temporary home at someone's house while he gets his life situation figured out.

He has also been reunited with Jada.

A woman identifying herself as the teen's mom contacted the news outlet after seeing the story. She said he had run away from home and had been missing for a year, and she wanted him to come home. It's impossible to know the circumstances of the family or the teen's home life, but regardless of what led to him living under a bridge at 17, one thing is clear: He did what he had to do to make sure his dog was going to be taken care of, even if it meant giving her up, and that's a responsible, selfless action worthy of praise.


This article originally appeared on 4.14.22

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Jon Stewart breaks down in tears announcing the death of his beloved dog, Dipper

"In a world of good boys, he was the best."

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Jon Stewart breaks down into tears remembering his late dog, Dipper

Jon Stewart might be best known as a late night show host and political commentator, but he is also a very loving dog dad.

That became evident Monday (26 February), as Stewart, eyes already bloodshot, as though he had been weeping the night before, told “The Daily Show” viewers that his beloved dog Dipper had passed away the day before.

“In a world of good boys, he was the best,” Stewart said, his voice already breaking. “I thought I’d get further.”

Tears kept rolling as he paid an emotional tribute to his late dog, sharing the story of how Dipper came to be part of his family.

Stewart recalled that twelve years ago, his kids wanted to raise money for an animal shelter in New York called Animal Haven. After baking cupcakes to sell just outside Animal Haven, the staff brought out a “one-ish year old brindle pitbull” who had lost his right leg after being hit by a car. After Dipper sat in Stewart’s lap for the first time, all bets were off.

Since that fateful day, Dipper became “part of the OG ‘Daily Show’ dog crew.”

“We’d come to tape this show, and Dipper would wait for me to be done,” he said. “He met actors and authors and presidents and kings. And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is, put a scare into Malala Yousafzai.”

He then ran a clip of Yousafzai getting spooked by Dipper during her guest appearance.

Stewart then delivered the heartbreaking news that “Dipper passed away yesterday. He was ready. He was tired, but I wasn’t. And the family, we were all together.”

“My wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog… It’s just… It’s the best,” Stewart concluded.

The segment ended with a moment of silence for Dipper as a video of him happy in the snow played with the credits.

Watch the touching moment below:

The raw video resonated with so many viewers, and even inspired some to share their own tragic losses. One thing became clear: this heartbreak is a feeling shared by parents.

As one Youtube commenter poignantly wrote:

“Anyone who has had a pet will know that grief and loss are a part of that beautiful, goofy, loving, sometimes chaotic package. We know it when we take them on, and yet somehow, when the time comes, it's always the same, heart-wrenching, emptying experience. I am so glad you found your heart-dog, and that he found you and your family.”

Though Dipper will be missed, Stewart is not without animals in his life. Eight years ago, Stewart and his wife traded in their city life to live on a farm, which eventually became the fourth property of Farm Sanctuary, an advocacy group that fights the factory farm industry and cares for abused animals.

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