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The Supreme Court just unanimously voted to stop the police from stealing your stuff for no reason.

The Supreme Court just unanimously voted to stop the police from stealing your stuff for no reason.
via Wikimedia Commons

In a landmark unanimous decision issued Wednesday, February 20, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled civil asset forfeiture unconstitutional because it violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against excessive fines and fees.

Civil asset forfeiture allows local law enforcement agencies to seize people’s cars, cash, homes, and pretty much anything else that is suspected of being used to commit a crime.

To get their property back, citizens have to prove it wasn’t obtained illegally, even in situations where no indictment was filed.

A few examples of ridiculous government overreach provided by Harvard Law Review:

Mary and Leon Adams resided in their West Philadelphia house for forty-six years when the police told them to vacate and initiated a civil forfeiture proceeding against the property because their adult son sold $60 worth of marijuana on the porch.

Tina Bennis faced a similar fate when the Supreme Court upheld the civil forfeiture of the car she jointly owned with her husband after he secretly had sex with a prostitute inside the vehicle.

Victor Ramos Guzman was pulled over for speeding and a state trooper seized $28,500; he was a church secretary en route to buy land for the church with the donated money and possessed no contraband.

A Washington Post report found that from 2008 to 2014, 81% of cash and property seizures came from incidents in which no indictment was filed.

via Office of Public Affairs / Flickr

To make it simple: Before the SCOTUS decision, the police could just steal your stuff for no reason whatsoever.

According to the Institute for Justice, in 2015 Treasury and Justice departments deposited more than $5 billion into their respective asset forfeiture funds. The same year, the FBI reports that in-home burglary losses were $3.5 billion.

Law enforcement officials have a perverse incentive to shake down the people they’re sworn to protect. Civil asset forfeiture has become a huge part of funding for law enforcement agencies.

“Increasingly, our justice system has come to rely on fines, fees and forfeitures to fund law enforcement agencies rather than having to answer to elected officials for their budgets,” Scott Bullock, the president and general counsel of the Institute for Justice, told ABC News.

“We are grateful that the U.S. Supreme Court established that the U.S. Constitution secures meaningful protections for private property and limits the government’s ability to turn law enforcement into revenue generators," Bullock continued.

The case before the Supreme Court, Timbs v. Indiana, involved the police seizing a $42,000 Land Rover SUV from Tyson Timbs.

In 2015, Timbs sold heroin to an undercover cop and received one year of house arrest and five years of probation. The state also seized his car, which Timbs had purchased with money he received from his father’s life insurance policy.

Timbs challenged the seizure and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court.

The good news is that Timbs is sober and will either get his car back or compensation from the state for a comparable amount.

“Tyson paid his debts to society,” said Timbs’ attorney Wesley Hottot. “He took responsibility for what he did. He paid fees. He is in drug treatment. He is holding down a job. He is staying clean. Our hope and goal now is to get back his vehicle from the police so Tyson will have an easier time getting to all the different commitments he has to stay on the straight and narrow.”

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5 ways people are going "All In" this week

From the silly to the sentimental, there are so many ways people like to go “all in” on something. Here are our five favorite examples this week.

5 ways people are going "All In" this week
5 ways people are going "All In" this week
5 ways people are going "All In" this week
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When you hear the words “all in,” what do you think? You might think of getting groovy at a nursing home, a french bulldog having a total breakdown in the drive-thru, or maybe even a snack bar company promoting self care. Whatever you picture, the idea is the same: Going “all in” means doing something with total commitment—literally giving it your “all” and going completely over the top. No second guessing, no holding back—just full-throttle enthusiasm with some creativity and flair thrown in. That’s how we get those viral internet moments we can’t stop watching.

This DWTS dance trend 

If you’ve been watching TV or on the internet this week, you might have seen the viral dance move Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach performed while on Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) last week. The one particular move, where Dylan holds Daniella as she does a mid-air horizontal walk, is going viral with over 8k videos using the sound. Some of my personal favorites include a mom and her baby, two girls or a girl and her cat, proving this dance trend is truly for anyone to try.

All In on Fiber

Speaking of trends, there’s one that really is about going “all in”, it’s called #fibermaxxing. After years of protein being the biggest nutrition trend, it looks like fiber might be taking over. For good reason too, while protein can cause issues with digestion, fiber can lead to better digestion, blood sugar management, weight control and reduced disease risk. Our friends at All In made a video explaining the #fibermaxxing trend. Each All In bar has 6 to 7 grams of fiber , plus they are delicious. Don't take our word for it, though: Click here to try it yourself (for free).

This child's long hair

This creator went all in… on pranking the audience. I don’t want to give away the contents of this video, but let’s just say it’s creative- and it made me quite literally laugh out loud. There are a lot of "momfluencers" out there who make content that uses their children, and as relatable and heartfelt as it is, sometimes a little satire break is worth appreciating.

Two entrepreneurs getting down to business


Lots of people dabble in entrepreneurship. These two went "all in" on helping others learn it. After four years of interviews with CEOs , research, edits, and a Penguin Random House book deal (yes, seriously), their book, Down to Business, has made its way into classrooms and libraries around the world. Now they are teaching other kids that age is not a barrier to entry in entrepreneurship; the earlier you start, the further you can go—and an entrepreneurial mindset will serve you no matter what you do in life.

Bridesmaids who went all in

Last on our list; two bridesmaids who committed to the bit. These ladies went “all in” in their remake of the legendary scene from the movie “Bridesmaids”. If you haven’t seen the original movie, starring Kristen Wig and Maya Rudolph, this might be your sign.

In the viral TikTok this bride, Caroline, had no idea what was coming when she put on her favorite movie while getting ready for her big day. The fact that she wanted to watch her favorite show before her bridesmaids surprised her, makes this going “all in” surprise all the better.

Snag your free (!!) snack bar here while this deal lasts. Just pick up a bar at Sprouts and text a pic ofv your receipt to get it for free. Enoy!

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

Their engineering feats are pretty dam incredible.

beavers, beaver dam, animals, wildlife, ecosystem, nature, earth, sustainability, deserts, waterways, rivers, pollution, climate change
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 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 on riverbank. Canva Photos

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? Well, it just makes dam sense! (Sorry.)

In all seriousness, 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.

beaver, dam, dam building, nature, ecosystem Pbs Nature Swimming GIF by Nature on PBS Giphy

Doden and her team took beavers who were captured or removed from their original homes due to their being a "nuisance," interfering with infrastructure, or being endangered, 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 sine 2019, enough have stayed and built dams 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 youtu.be

The water levels in the river are now the healthiest they've been in years. The fish are thriving and Utah residents are overjoyed with the experiment's results.

According to an early 2025 column in The Salt Lake Tribune (i.e. six years after the beaver translocation began) the revitalization of the Price River has "helped save [our] Utah town."

"A tributary of the Colorado River, the Price River runs through downtown Helper," wrote column authors Lenise Peterman and Jordan Nielson. "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 River Public 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 one 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.

It's about dam time!

This article originally appeared in June.

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Culture

California man buys a small island in Finland for $31k instead of down payment on a house

Russell and his girlfriend recently finished building their own log cabin on the island.

American expat; expats; couple buys island; finland; finnish island; buy island in finland
Photo credit: Canva

Couple buys small island because it was cheaper than a house

The cost of living has gotten quite ridiculous. If things continue the way they're going, pretty soon, people will feel they need to take out a loan to buy basic groceries. But there's one area where people are struggling beyond compare, and that's the extreme cost of housing. We're not just talking purchasing a home, either (which feels more and more impossible, if we're being honest). Across the United States, rent rates have skyrocketed, leaving people of all ages and stages in the lurch. Many are being completely priced out of the market, causing some to rent longer than they'd like, while others are having to move back in with their parents.

Due to the rising cost of housing in America, more people are choosing to relocate outside the country in hopes of maintaining a better quality of life for less. There are entire Reddit channels dedicated to expat living and Americans looking to become expats.

Oliver Russell, 24, was slightly ahead of the curve with his exit from the United States. Though he is American, he's also half Finnish, giving him dual citizenship with the country through friends and family he often visited.

- YouTube youtu.be

Russell grew up in Laguna Beach, California, but after moving to Colorado, he was denied in-state tuition, making it nearly impossible to afford business school. That's when he decided to take advantage of the free college education Finland offers its citizens; he had always dreamed of moving to Helsinki anyway.

It just so happened that, after settling into his second homeland, he met a girl. Helena Tomaszewska, 20, is Dutch. Once the two got serious about dating, they started looking at getting a summer home, which is standard in Finland. But during their search for the perfect home, the two discovered houses were expensive. The down payment alone seemed like entirely too much money for a pair in their early twenties.

"In Finland, the summer cottage life is a huge part of the culture, and I would come out here every summer. I loved the summer cottage life and wanted one of my own," Russell told SWNS in 2024.

summer cottage, cottage, cottage living, finnish, dutch, europe A cozy summer cottage.Canva Photos

They continued their search, checking various real estate websites for something within their price range. Just when it seemed like the pair was having a run of bad luck locating an affordable property, Russell came across an island. Yes, an island. By the time he came across it, the island had been on the market for 10 years. Lucky for them, it was within their budget.

In March 2024, the couple paid $31k for the 2.5 acres of lush land off the Helsinki coast.

Unlucky for them, the island was a little too lush. Since it had sat uninhabited (by humans) for a decade, the land was completely overgrown with vegetation—trees, bushes, moss, etc. If they were going to build their summer home there, they had a lot of work cut out for them, but that big detail didn't deter them one bit. The couple quickly got to work.

"Our plan is to build a log cabin completely by ourselves with no experience and transform it into a fully functioning summer cottage," Russell shared in a video on his and Tomaszewska's YouTube page, Off Grid Island, that shows him chopping down trees and shaving bark from logs.

Since purchasing the island, Russell and Tomaszewska have made several trips to ready the land for a permanent structure.

island life, Finland, Helsinki coast, island, summer home A wooded area. Canva Photos

In a 2024 article, Russell told LadBible, "We made a frame out of logs that we felled from trees, and I got some decking from a hardware store. We then built an outhouse, and I am now trying to build a shower structure so we can wash while we're on the island. We wanted to get the base camp set up so we have a comfortable place to stay while the big building happens next year."

There's a requirement for the island: a certain portion must be a sauna. It's unclear if this is a requirement by the Finnish government or a deal between Russell and his girlfriend.

As of late summer 2025, Russell reports that the cabin is done and they are moving on to their other plans for the rest of the island.

The build is pretty impressive for a couple of students without much experience and only an electric chainsaw!

- YouTube youtu.be

Russell and Tomaszewska are documenting their island transformation on their aforementioned YouTube channel. They post instead, frequently sharing their wins, failures, and everything in between with all 233k of their interested subscribers—who maybe can't afford their own islands yet, but are dutifully preparing.

- YouTube youtu.be

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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10-year-old girl walks into police station and brings officers to tears with 2 simple words

She's been handing out handwritten cards to officers all over the country ever since.

police, cops, police officers, law enforcement, heroes, 10-year-old, thank you letters, kindness
Photo credit: Canva

A 10-year-old has been handing out Thank You cards to police officers across the country for years.

10-year-old Savannah Solis knew she had to do something. Per KHOUN, the girl from Tyler, Texas had heard the tragic news that two local police officers in New York had been murdered. The news, all the way back in 2015, brought her to tears.

Solis knew that, as a kid, there wasn't much she could do, to stop the bad guys, to make the world safer. But she dreamed of one day being a police officer herself and being able to help. As a 5-year-old, Solis says her mother had a heart attack and the first person to arrive and offer help was a police officer. She never forgot that officer's kindness and bravery.

Savannah’s mom, Debbie, recalled the immense love and support the girl had for police officers all over the world. Inspired and mesmerized by their line of duty, she hoped and wished only the best for each of them. “We would drive by and see them stopping somebody and in the backseat she would pray, asking God to take care of them,” the mom recounted.

In the meantime, she wanted the heroes in her own community to know that she cared. So she decided to write personal letters. Hundreds of them.

police, cops, police officers, law enforcement, heroes, 10-year-old, thank you letters, kindness a piece of paper with a heart drawn on it Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

Her letters had two words recurring each time, “Thank you.”

Furthermore, the girl explained as best as she could what their service meant to her and how grateful she was to them for saving lives.

During her Christmas break, the girl went all out making these letters and posting them—she even delivered a few personally to police departments all over Texas.

“You are my heroes. I want to say don’t stop, please don’t give up. Many do not care or appreciate the sacrifices you make every day. But I do,” the girl remarked. Savannah added a note of inspiration which read, “Many are standing with me today to let you know that you matter. Officers across Texas, you matter to me. Officers in New York City, you matter to me. Officers all across America, you matter to me. Please keep taking care of us.”

One of Solis' deliveries was caught on video, per KXAN, where officers were moved to tears by her gesture.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

She went about taking autographs of as many officers as she could. Debbie noted that her daughter didn’t want celebrity or artist autographs but those of the cops. All the officers are seen shaking hands and getting teary-eyed as they read the cards colored and highlighted with the title, “My hero.”

Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Jessica Robledo felt proud of the girl’s gesture and of the fact that their role was so valued in someone’s eyes.

“The words she spoke from her heart touched every single officer. I noticed everyone was trying to blink back tears. That’s what it’s all about. She is an old soul. She knows the right thing to say and I don’t think she even realizes the impact of her words on these officers and this department,” she remarked.

That was 10 years ago. As Solis grew up, she continued her personal outreach to police officers all over the country, letting them know that their bravery was appreciated.

She visited a precinct in Manchester, New Hampshire as recently in 2021 where she brought cards to the officers, met the K9 dogs, and was introduced to the police horses as well. Commenters were blown away that Solis was continuing the gesture after so many years.

"Savanna. Officers need that inspiration with everything going on today. You're remarkable for doing this."

"Amazing young lady right, thank you Savannah I appreciate all your efforts to show your appreciation for our men, woman, dogs and horses in blue"

"What an amazing young woman thank you for sharing this post and thank you for your service to our city. And all the law enforcement officers all over the Country."

Bravo, Savannah!

This article originally appeared in July. It has been updated.

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Woman finds antique photo that looks just like her wife. Then more eerie similarities emerge.

Her viral video is making people believe in past lives.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography
Images from Avery Klein

Sarah Somes, 1865 (left) Casey, 2025 (right)

Plenty of people browse eBay for rare and unique antique items. But antique faces? That pretty much is entirely Avery Klein’s territory. For three years, the Tulsa-based artist, known on TikTok as “The Dead Detective,” has been identifying people in 19th-century photographs, a passion project that recently earned her a 2025 grant from the Artist Creative Fund. She spends her days collecting forgotten faces, researching their histories, and helping their portraits find their way into genealogical archives.

Still, despite years of practice, nothing prepared Avery for the night she discovered a girl named Sarah Somes…who bore a striking resemblance to her wife.

“I came across the photograph labeled ‘Sarah Somes’ as an ID’d carte de visite, and immediately felt she looked surprisingly similar to my wife, Casey, especially in the eyes,” Avery wrote to Upworthy in an email. “There was an instant sense of familiarity.”

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography A phot of Sarah Somes, circa 1865Images from Avery Klein

Even Casey herself, sitting beside Klein on the couch, giggled when Avery showed her the listing. It was undeniably uncanny.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Casey, Avery's wife.Images from Avery Klein

But since doppelgängers are so common in Avery’s work, she clicked away from the listing without thinking much of it.

However, the feeling lingered.

“A minute later, I bought the photograph and told my wife I had to get it,” she said. “I still was not thinking too deeply about why the face felt so familiar.”

The mystery deepens

The photo arrived in September. In November, Avery finally sat down to determine exactly which young woman named Sarah Somes she was looking at.

Her first clue was the studio stamp on the back of the portrait. It read “A. Somes,” of 149 Union Street, Schenectady, New York.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography The back of Sarah Somes' photo. Images from Avery Klein

“Her surname matched the photographer’s studio stamp, which made me suspect a family connection,” Avery explained. Further research confirmed that the photographer was Sarah’s father, Alson Somes.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Alson Somes' photography studio stamp,Images from Avery Klein

Then Avery found something that made her push her computer aside: both Alson and 17-year-old Sarah were listed in census records as artists.

“I think any genealogist or historian would agree that such a description for a teenage girl in the 19th century is extraordinarily rare,” she wrote. “To this day, I have never seen that documented before.”

A second census listed Alson as a Daguerreian Artist and listed Sarah as an oil painter. This detail struck Avery because Casey is also a painter.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography A photo of Casey painting in her studio. Images from Avery Klein

The more Avery researched, the more uncanny the parallels became. A Schenectady city directory listed Alson as offering “Ambrotypes, Photographs, Plain and Colored, In Oil,” further supporting the idea that Sarah worked in the studio as an oil-paint retoucher.

“The census description paired with his business advertisement aligns almost too perfectly to be a coincidence,” she wrote.

However, even more than the shared artistic passion, Avery couldn’t ignore the “familiarity” in Sarah’s eyes.

reincarnation, past lives, antique photos, uncanny resemblance, history, cool history, loves stories, photography Those…are the same eyes…Images from Avery Klein

“I could not shake the feeling that she was reaching across time, asking to be known.”

TikTok fell in love with the story

Avery shared the story on TikTok and, much to her surprise, people were just as profoundly moved as she was. Many shared their theories about soul connections carrying across lifetimes.

TikTok · thedeaddetective www.tiktok.com

“Did you just…love her in every lifetime?”

“What if you actually found her in a past life too??? And this is one of those ‘I’ll find my way back to you in every lifetime’ moments?”

“Reincarnation is real and it’s passed through mitochondrial DNA.”

"That’s literally too coincidental to be anything but reincarnation.”

“I still get chills thinking about the possibility that this could be a past life of Casey’s,” shared Avery. She already has plans to host workshops through her Artist's Creative Fund project that can help people research their own family photos, thanks to the immensely positive reactions she received.

The search for Sarah continues

While Avery is still trying to piece together what happened to Sarah, she says the trail “fades after 1865.” Sarah’s father died in early 1866, and his gravestone is broken, which nevertheless might hide important clues. Some records also raise new questions, including a possible remarriage in the family and a strange reference to Sarah as “adopted” in one census that is not repeated anywhere else.

“I am actively reaching out to historians,” Avery wrote. “I am open to any help that might further uncover information about Miss Sarah Somes of 149 Union St.”

In the meantime, we’ll be over here pondering the enduring power of love.

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A teacher brought his deaf dog to school. Students learned sign language to talk to him.

The lessons kids have learned from Cole are priceless.

dog, rescue dog, animals, pets, cole the deaf dog
Courtesy of @deafcole/TikTok

Cole celebrated his 9th birthday with the students at Dr. Mennies School in New Jersey

When Cole was living in the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter as a 5-month-old puppy, he kept getting overlooked by potential adopters. The pitbull mix was deaf and was deemed "broken," with countless families passing him up before music teacher Chris Hannah discovered him, adopted him, and brought him home in 2017.

Hannah has a nephew who is deaf, and he soon realized that Cole was remarkably responsive to sign language and very good with kids. Hannah began bringing him to Dr. William Mennies School in Vineland, New Jersey, where Cole became a beloved fixture in the classroom. The Team Cole Project is now a unique social-emotional learning program that helps kids learn a key lesson: A disability is not an inability—it’s a superpower.

As a deaf dog who is part pitbull, a much-maligned breed, Cole serves as an ambassador for people and animals who might feel like they don't belong. By working with Cole, kids learn they can embrace their own and others' differences.

@abcworldnews

At Dr. William Mennies Elementary School in Vineland, #NJ, students got a remarkable lesson from their #teacher and his deaf rescue #dog, Cole -- learning sign language to sing 'Happy Birthday' to the beloved pup. #DavidMuir reports. #AmericaStrong.

Cole accompanies students on the school bus, in the classroom, at school assemblies, and more. Kids have learned to communicate with him using sign language, and celebrated his 9th birthday with the students at Dr. Mennies School. Donning a crown, his superhero cape, and a "Birthday Boy" scarf, Cole was given the royal treatment as he was wheeled into the school auditorium in a decorated wagon. Students circled around him and sang the "Happy Birthday" song in sign language.

"He really does an incredible job of teaching our students about how to be different, be who they truly are, and that disability is not an inability," Hannah told ABC's David Muir.

- YouTube youtu.be

Cole was the ASPCA's Dog of the Year in 2023, and he serves in many roles in the community. Cole has become a beloved companion among the residents of the NJ Veterans Memorial Home, who unanimously petitioned to name him their Official Mascot. In August of 2020, the Team Cole Project held its first-ever “Kindness Tour” of care facilities across New Jersey to bring people joy and hope during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cole is also a hospice therapy dog with Angelic Health Palliative & Hospice Care and certified through Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs, INC, and he became the first dog to win the Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Teacher award.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

People responded to Cole's birthday party video with strong feelings about this special pup:

"The way, Cole, just lays down in the chair as the kids are singing to him. I'm in tears now. Everyday I, wish people had more empathy as this."

"He’s teaching those children more than he realizes. Many of the children that don’t have pets will learn how to nurture, love and treat animals with respect and hopefully adopt a dog of their own one day. And everytime a birthday comes around for the rest of their lives they will remember Cole and how they learned to sing Happy Birthday in sign language. Teacher of the decade!!!"

"This is my city. Cole visits all the schools around here. He has other rescues too. And he made them trading cards that he's given out to the kids lol my kids have a few. They love seeing Cole."

"It is a beautiful story. I’m an orchestra teacher and I had a blind and diabetic (considered special needs) rescue dog - who I adopted that way, who became a therapy dog in my school. I miss my boy everyday because he passed of cancer. My students loved him. Thanks Cole for spreading love and acceptance."

You can follow Cole and Mr. Hannah on TikTok and Instagram.

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