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“A balm for the soul”
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GOOD PEOPLE Book
upworthy

shelters

Best Friends
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Peach was just a kitten when Chris Henderson fell head over heels for her. He had recently moved from Scotland to Houston, and the whole city was under quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chris was waiting for his fiancé Emma's visa to come through so she could join him, and he was feeling a bit lonely. He thought perhaps a pet might help with that. When he found Peach on Best Friends Animal Society's website, he was struck by her.

"There was just something unusual about her coat, and she looked pretty adorable," Chris said.

Best Friends

A few days later, he met Peach at her foster home and the rest, as they say, is history. After he adopted her, he was grateful to have learned about the kitten's habits from her foster mom.

"Peach uses her voice a lot when she wants something," Chris said. "It would have worried me, as it was different to the cats I had growing up. But knowing that was just her nature really put my mind at ease."


Emma met Peach via video chat and was instantly smitten. Once Emma arrived in the U.S., the couple adopted another kitten from Best Friends—a little black and white sister for Peach named Lyra.

"Adopting her was the best decision I made during the pandemic by a large margin," Chris says.

Best Friends

Chris and Emma weren't the only ones who turned to pets for comfort and companionship when the pandemic hit. A record number of pets found temporary or forever homes in 2020. In fact, some animal shelters saw their kennels cleared out for the first time ever as people sought pets to keep them company.

However, pandemic pet adoptions have waned as people have started to come out of isolation and return to work. According to Best Friends, pet adoptions are down 3.7% overall this year. Meanwhile, the number of animals coming into shelters in June was up 5.9% compared to 2020. Despite rumors of hordes of people returning their "pandemic pets", the data doesn't actually show that trend; however, shelters are struggling with too many pets in need and not enough homes to help them.

Adding to the crisis, shelters are experiencing the same employee shortage affecting many industries nationwide. A survey of more than 150 shelters and animal organizations conducted by Best Friends found that 88% are short on staff, 57% have cut hours or programs due to short staffing, and 41% are down more than 25% of normal staff levels. This, of course, puts more stress on those who are still working in shelters.

"I've said it many times before, but now more than ever, we need the public to adopt or foster," says Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization dedicated to saving dogs and cats in shelters around the country and helping families to keep pets in homes.

"If you have been considering getting a new pet, now is the time. The public stepped up during the pandemic, and we need to do it again because countless animals' lives are at stake if this progress backslides."

Adopting or fostering from shelters genuinely does save lives. When animals outnumber people willing to take them in and the cost of caring for the animals outweighs available resources, animals unfortunately end up being euthanized. Thanks to advocates like Best Friends, the U.S. has gone from killing 17 million animals per year to about 347,000, which is great, but we need to remember that each one of those numbers is a life lost. Best Friends is dedicated to making the U.S. an entirely no-kill nation by 2025—an ambitious goal, but one that is within reach if more people choose pet adoption.

Best Friends

People who love animals but don't want to commit to lifelong care can foster, which frees up space in shelters, gives animals a temporary loving home until they are adopted, and helps get animals socialized with humans.

Fostering can also be a first step. Alix Walburn had only been a foster mom to a sweet dog named Giddy for about a week when she realized she didn't want anyone else to adopt her. Giddy had heartworm disease, and the plan was for Alix to foster her just during her course of medication. As it turned out, Giddy snuck right into Alix's heart with her cute face, loving eyes, and cuddly, playful personality.

"She will just curl up next to you, or put her little head on your lap," says Walburn. "No matter where you are, she just instantly melts into your hands."

Foster-Win! Heartworm positive dog gets adopted by amazing fosterwww.youtube.com

"Shelters, and the animals in them, need our help in a big way," Castle says. "Pets have been a part of our lives long before the pandemic, and we want to work with families to help them find their best friend while also saving a life."

Not everyone is in a position to adopt or foster animals, of course. But you can still help animals by donating or volunteering with your local shelter. You can also support the Best Friends mission of making the U.S. a no-kill nation by 2025 by checking out the Pet Lifesaving Dashboard to see where your community ranks. (Shelters with a 90% save rate are considered no-kill shelters, since some animals arrive at shelters too injured or sick to save. So far, just two states have achieved no-kill status, so there's work to be done.)

Adopting or fostering a pet from a shelter is a win-win-win choice—the animal gets a loving home, the shelter gets space freed up to help more animals, and you get a new friend to love and enjoy. If you've been thinking of adding a cat or dog or some other pet to your life, now is the time. Go to bestfriends.org to learn more about how to adopt or foster a pet.

Put on your active citizen hat because the Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking public comments on a proposed rule.

First, a little background.

In October 2016, HUD published a final rule, "Equal Access in Accordance with an Individual's Gender Identity in Community Planning and Development Programs."


It ensures people have equal access to HUD programs and shelters funded by HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) regardless of their gender identity. It's actually an expansion of a 2012 rule that provided equal access to shelters and programs regardless of sexual orientation.

Sounds good so far, right?

‌A person walking by an East Harlem public housing complex. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images. ‌

The rule is great but only if people — especially those seeking emergency shelter or resources — know it exists.

As part of the rule, HUD is proposing owners and operators of CPD-funded buildings, housing units, and shelters post this rule in public places in their facilities (like bulletin boards and in the lobby) where people can see it. HUD would provide the content of the notice and the owners would just have to print it out and post it. HUD estimates the task will take six minutes.

‌Just print and post. That's what HUD is suggesting. Photo by Newburyport Public Library/Flickr.‌

Here's where all of us come in. HUD is seeking public comment on four things:

1. Whether the printout is necessary and useful.

2. Whether the six-minute estimate is accurate.

3. How to improve the quality, usefulness, or clarity of the document.

4. How to minimize the burden on people required to print out the document.

If you believe it's a good idea for HUD shelters and housing units to post this information, you can submit your comments electronically or by mail until Feb. 23, 2017.

Think giving feedback on something like this is trivial and unnecessary? Ask the genderqueer teen living on the streets who needs a place to crash and doesn't know if they're welcome at a local emergency shelter. Ask the transgender woman who was worried she'd be denied access to a home-buying program.

It may seem small, but to the individuals and families looking for resources and reassurance, it's significant.

‌Homeless grandmother Valencia Terrell arrives with her grandchild to stay temporarily at a friend's home in Atlantic City in 2015. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images. ‌

More comments and feedback on the issues and proposed policies let the administration know we are paying attention.

This is only the first week of the new administration, and President Trump and his team have set several potentially devastating plans into motion. There's the unsanctioned gag order at the USDA, the devastating executive action prohibiting U.S. aid groups from funding NGOs that advise on or provide abortions, revival of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines, not the mention the promise to begin moving on his border wall.

‌President Donald Trump signs one of five executive orders related to the oil pipeline industry. Photo by Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images. ‌

You may not have the time or emotional energy to respond to every issue or proposal and that's OK.

With so much going on, it's easy to get discouraged and zone out. We have to persist. When we stop speaking up, reading, or getting involved, the administration's decisions go ignored and unchecked. There's just too much at stake to risk that.

Pick your issue: write a comment, make a call, attend a town hall, send a letter. Let Congress and Trump know you won't be silenced, bullied, or ignored. They work for us, and it's time they get a reminder.

‌People listen at a town hall meeting on Latin American and immigration policy in Los Angeles. Photo by David McNew/Getty Images. ‌

Get ready. Your active citizen hat is going to be on for a while.

When most of us hear "illegal immigration," there's not one face that comes to mind.

Because there isn't one. Most undocumented immigrants in the United States live in the shadows to avoid deportation. Many have to spend time in "drop houses" — shady locations crammed with undocumented immigrants as they are smuggled into the country.

Whenever there's a drop house bust and local media show up, those caught coming into the country illegally are usually quick to shield their faces from the cameras. Anonymity is key, which makes this photo series that much more intriguing.


Photographer John Moore managed to put a face — a lot of faces actually — on this important issue plaguing our society.

He shot these gripping images at shelters for undocumented immigrants in both the U.S. and Mexico.

Here are 13 mesmerizing portraits of undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation.

1. Jorge, 62, is from Guatemala. He worked in the U.S. for eight months before being detained and deported.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

2. Cruz, 18, is from Sinaloa, Mexico. At the time of this photo, he was planning to cross the border illegally for the first time in a few days.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

3. Gilberto, 28, is from Chiapas, Mexico. He worked as a farm laborer in Washington state for five years before being arrested for driving without a license.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

4. Flor, 19, is also from Chiapas. She was caught in Arizona by Border Patrol agents on her first attempt to cross the border illegally.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

5. This man who chose not to give his name is from Oaxaca, Mexico. At the time of this photo, he planned to try to cross the border into the U.S. in the next few days.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

6. Silvia, 29, is from Chiapas. She was abandoned in the desert by a "coyote," or human smuggler, whom she paid to bring her into the U.S.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

7. Eduardo, 23, and Elvira, 22, are from Honduras. They both lost a leg under a freight train while trying to cross into the U.S.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

8. Daniela, 20, also from Honduras, is transgender. She's waiting for agents to process paperwork so she can be deported by bus. It's considered the safest route because of her gender orientation.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

9. Melvin, 16, is from Honduras. At the time this photo was taken, he planned to board a freight train later that night to try and find work in San Francisco.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

10. Javier, 14, is from Guatemala. He also planned to board a freight train later that night and try to make it all the way to New Jersey to find work.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

11. Consuelo, 42, and her 15-year-old daughter are from El Salvador. They've been at a shelter four months following their deportation.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

12. Carlos, 36, is from Guatemala. He also planned to hop on a freight train and try to make it to New Orleans, where he previously worked in construction.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

13. Genenis, 20, and her 25-year-old husband, Jose, are from El Salvador. They also planned to travel by freight train later that night headed to Houston.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images.

We can often forget that these people are human. Yes, they're breaking the law as they search for a better way of life in the U.S., but at the end of the day, they're people too. These gripping portraits are a powerful, visual reminder of that.

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When Fluffy arrived at the Animal Care Center in New York City, he wasn't in the best shape.

He'd spent quite a while at the shelter but had yet to find a home. As if that weren't bad enough, his long, shaggy fur was seriously matted, causing painful sores all over his body. He was far from looking or feeling his best.


All images by Mark Imhof, used with permission.

The sad truth is, the way a dog looks plays a huge role in how it feels and interacts with people. It also affects how potential families see it. A single grooming session can be the difference between finding a home and being euthanized.

Shelters are filled to the brink with unwanted and abandoned pets.

When you visit an animal shelter, there are a lot of little fur balls in need of love, vying for your attention. According to the ASPCA, "approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide each year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats."

If that doesn't break your heart, this next fact might. The ASPCA states that "each year, approximately 2.7 million animals are euthanized (1.2 million dogs and 1.4 million cats)."

The reality is that the animals people find the cutest go the fastest.

Kittens and puppies are swooped out of shelters at a much faster rate than their fully-grown friends. Some organizations such as PAWS, a national rescue and adoption organization, aren't even able to post photos online fast enough due to the high demand.

Older pets, special needs animals, and those that have lost their luster get overlooked easily.

Dexter, a senior bichon frise, posing for the camera after his spa day.

Even the biggest animal lover may not notice the shaggy guy in the corner when there's a puppy the size of a palm falling over and offering kisses in exchange for some love.

That's where Mark the dog guy comes in. He gives animals in need of some TLC makeovers, helping them to find their forever homes.

Mark worked in the financial sector as a certified public accountant and internal auditor before deciding to dedicate more of his time to something that would bring him endless joy.

Mark knew the role that animals' appearance plays in their adoption firsthand — and how uncomfortable lack of grooming can make them: When his fiancé went to pick up the pit bull they had decided to adopt from the shelter, she was so disheartened by the pup's appearance — she looked nothing like her photos — that for a moment she considered turning back.

She didn't, and their worlds changed forever. They took her home, gave her a bath, and saw the dog completely transform. Mark recalls the layers of dirt coming off of her fur.

He told CTV news, "We could tell right away that some of her self-respect came back. It's magical, the transformation the dogs have."

Image of Mark with Cleo, his first pit bull and inspiration for Mark the Dog Guy.

This experience set the wheels in motion. Mark wanted to give baths to pit bulls and raise awareness of the sweet, loving, dogs they can be, but the scope of this project grew pretty quickly. He now runs his business, Mark the Dog Guy, and donates his services to shelter dogs in need of a makeover so that they can look and feel their best — and hopefully find a family that's eager to take them home.

Like Fluffy. Remember Fluffy?

A few sores from the matted fur, but Fluffy's working it for the camera.

He was the NYC ACC sponsored dog of the week, but Mark's grooming skills gave him the comfort and confidence to charm his new family. They'd seen his photos and were intrigued, but the loving, clean-cut pup that greeted them sealed the deal. After being groomed, Fluffy went from a shy guy with painful, matted fur to a loving, happy pup. The family was completely smitten, and Fluffy went home with them that day.

Here are some of Mark's other happy customers.

Meet Sean, who had some pretty serious behavioral issues that made it almost impossible to get him adopted.


See how calm and collected he looks after his grooming? The matted fur was causing him so much discomfort that he'd acted out. Only days after Mark worked his magic, Sean's new and improved temperament made it possible for him to move to a new shelter to find a home.

This is Sugarplum.

Mark said, "What I love about this picture is that he has the same face in both pics, but one is covered up with matted fur and the other shows his soulful eyes and cuteness."

Here we have before, during, and after shots of Paris at the Brooklyn ACC.

Mark says, "you can see the matted fur coming off in one piece that used to be stuck like glue to this poor dog’s body."

Free of the painful, matted fur, Paris looks and feels like an entirely new dog.

For Mark, the experience is incredible.

He explained to us, "The dogs usually become so used to the pain that they have from the matted fur that they just think that’s their new normal, this pain that they’re in." After he works with the pups, they experience a new reality for the first time in a long time. He says, "Once they’re done, they’re usually super happy and just loving. And then the best part is when they get adopted."

He shares their stories on Facebook and Instagram and urges people to visit shelters first when considering welcoming a pet into the family. Because that's the end goal: to find these pups their forever homes.

The pups aren't the only ones transformed. Mark's world is changed too.

Many dog owners like to ask, "Who rescued who?" (In fact, there's even a bumper sticker). It's the same for Mark. He said, "I feel like my heart has completely opened up, and it’s just really special and amazing, and I feel grateful that I’m able to do this right now."

We're pretty sure those dogs are pretty darn grateful to him, too.