Homeless animals are a major problem all over the world.
In the U.S., our shelters are jam-packed with millions of cats, dogs, and other furry friends in desperate need of a home. Sadly, far too many of them never find one.
But in recent years, a powerful slogan has caught on in a major way: "Adopt, don't shop."
Campaigns from places like PETA and the ASPCA encourage families to take home needy animals from shelters instead of buying designer pets from breeders. At least one recent survey shows that it might be working; the majority of Americans considering adding a pet to the family would reportedly be more likely to adopt from a shelter.
It's progress, at least.
Now the idea of adoption as a way to fight animal homelessness is making its way to other parts of the world.
India, for example — home to a mind-boggling 30 million or so stray dogs — is in desperate need of a way to shift the way people think about homeless animals.
That's why one organization staged a brilliant and emotional photo shoot to combat the problem.
The photos, shot by World for All, show happy families — two parents with a new baby, a young couple in love, a pair of giggling kids.
But there's something missing in each photo. Can you spot it?
All photos by McCann Worldgroup, Mumbai/World for All*, used with permission.
Let's zoom out for a better view.
Cool, huh?
The eye-catching ads were created to promote a giant Adoptathon in Mumbai and brought in a ton of extra foot traffic. According to PetaPixel, the Adoptathon was a big success, with over 40 homeless animals finding new homes in just one day.
Not to mention, the images were a big hit in the photography/design community and with internet users all over the world.
The message? Pets aren't accessories. They're members of our families.
They need food and shelter. They need affection. But most of all, they need your love.
If you've decided that something's "missing" from your own family and that a four-legged friend might just fill the void, just know there are millions of them out there with plenty of love to give right back.
All they need is a chance.
*Campaign by McCann Worldgroup, Mumbai, Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman and regional ED AP, Pradyumna Chauhan, national creative director, Sharmad Khambekar, creative director, Pranav Bhide, art director, Pranav Bhide, copywriter, Archit Gadiyar, copywriter, and Amol Jadhav, photographer.
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."