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We asked about your favorite holiday gifts. The comment section blew us away.

Receiving a gift given from the heart is something that sticks with you forever. It’s not because of how elaborate or expensive or well-wrapped it is. The best gifts are the ones with the most thought and care poured into them — sometimes from our dearest loved ones, other times from complete strangers. They can…

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Robbie Couch

Receiving a gift given from the heart is something that sticks with you forever.

It’s not because of how elaborate or expensive or well-wrapped it is. The best gifts are the ones with the most thought and care poured into them — sometimes from our dearest loved ones, other times from complete strangers. They can heal our souls, help us when we’re in a rut, or simply put a smile on our face when we need it most.

Photo via iStock.

We asked you — our readers — about the best holiday gifts you’ve ever received. Your answers did not disappoint.

Here are 15 of the best gifts Upworthy readers said they’ve ever received:

Responses have been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

1. Household items to mark the next chapter in life

“My family helped me move into an apartment one November after leaving an abusive relationship. They bought my furniture, paid my deposit and helped me move the things I was able to take from my old place. I wasn’t expecting much for Christmas because of all the money they had spent on getting me set in my apartment. When we opened gifts, every member of my family had gotten me something that I needed or wanted. A good set of knives, a vacuum and cleaning supplies, and from my mother — who had spent the most on getting me into my apartment — a laptop. It wasn’t the money they spent, it was that they went out of their way to be able to afford to give large presents to me a month after furnishing my home for me.” — Angela Burlingame

Angela and her mom. Photo via Angela Burlingame, used with permission.

2. An old guitar with a new story

“My brother died from suicide in 2006. I had inherited one of his guitars, but the neck had been broken and he had re-glued it. My wife took it to a repair shop to have it fixed for me without me knowing as a Christmas gift. She said she had never been so nervous taking it, but knew it would mean a lot to me, and it did.” — Lynlee Lybrook

Photo via Lynlee Lybrook, used with permission.

3. A gift that waited months to be found

“My husband, who loved Christmas and the joy of giving, passed away in April 2010 while waiting for a liver transplant. When I looked for the Christmas wrapping paper in December, there was a package all wrapped in red shiny paper with my name on it in his handwriting. It read, ‘please don’t open ’til Christmas.’ It was so him.” — Noreen Leahy

Noreen with her husband (L) and the lovely gift she found from him (R). Photos from Noreen Leahy, used with permission.

4. 100 outfits, made with love

“There were five kids in my family, and we didn’t have a lot of money. A couple of weeks before xmas, I thought I heard my mom sewing on her machine. I asked her one morning what she was working on, but she said I must have imagined it. On Christmas morning, when we ran into the living room, there was a Barbie doll for me and my two sisters. Laid out all around them were 100 outfits that my mom had made. I didn’t put the two together until I was a little older. It is my favorite holiday memory.” — Virginia Rankin

5.  A teddy bear to adore

“When I was in third grade and my sister was in fourth, she made me a teddy bear. I would hear her and our mom whispering and the sound of the sewing machine for weeks, wondering what they were up to. I am the youngest of 11, and my mom was a working single mother. We had many hard times. Christmas morning I received the bear. It was a little malformed but I loved it! Fast forward 27 years and now my daughter has the bear.”
— Kimberlee Smith

In the picture on the left, Kimberlee Smith (right) with her sister. Photos via Kimberlee Smith, used with permission.

6. Hair dressing supplies with history

“My grandmother was a hairdresser for years. She passed away three years ago. Last Christmas, after everyone had finished opening gifts, my aunt had one last gift. I was shocked to learn it was for me. She presented me with a small suitcase-looking square box. I knew instantly what it was. I used items from it when my grandmother was too lame to leave her house. I would come to do her hair. I started to cry, and so did my aunt. I was given the case of all of my grandmother’s hairdressing supplies. Most items were from the ’60-’70s. That was the best gift I have ever received. I miss my Grammie, but I can open this box and remember her!” — Amanda Faunce

7. A blanket to stay warm, inside and out

“My friend Hannah made me a rainbow blanket for my sofa days. I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome amongst other things and spend a lot of time on the couch feeling crappy. My blanket keeps me warm and reminds me that my friend cares, even if we don’t see each other very often.” — Jess Dell

Photo via Jess Dell, used with permission.

8. Toys from “unkie” and his friends

“A couple of years ago, my husband was out of work, and I was staying at home with our daughter. We had no toys for her under the tree, and barely had enough to even get the tree and some lights for it. A friend of ours, my daughter’s ‘unckie,’ secretly contacted people to get gifts for her so she’d have something under the tree. It was the most thoughtful thing anyone’s ever done.” — Crystal Tracy

9. A gift best given by a sister

“My sister gave me and my siblings each a book for Christmas last year. Completely unexpectedly, it was a beautifully bound selection of our deceased father’s [paper] marbling. She had taken [the sheets] for safe keeping after our mother had passed and we had cleared out her house. That was our first Christmas as five adult/teen orphans. We were far from home, but to be able to spend it together with such a special physical reminder of our parents … well, there were a few tears shed when that gift was opened.” — Amelia Keenan Monaghan

Amelia and her sisters (left). The gifts from her sister (right). Photo via Amelia Kennan Monaghan, used with permission.

10. The best kind of re-gifts

“My best gifts were the Christmas after I split from my ex. I had very little money and had been left with massive bills. My kids made me gifts and wrapped up some of their belongings they thought I would like, so I would have things to open for Christmas (they were 12, 7, and 5). I love them with all my heart, and will never forget that.” — Kim L. Stirling

11. The gift of brotherly love

“Last Christmas, my son was one and half years old. I bought a wooden toy kitchen that took FOREVER to put together. I wanted it together with a bow on it for Christmas morning. My little brother came over to help. We spent hours getting it together and it was not done. It got to be 2 a.m. and I was exhausted. Turned out, half of the pieces were backward and we had to start over. I couldn’t stay up anymore, so I went to bed, upset not to have that magical moment of my son walking down the stairs to find it. Little did I know, my little brother stayed up all morning to finish it … not for my son, but for me to have that moment. By far the most memorable gift I’ve ever received.” — Jennifer Rebecca

Photo via Jennifer Rebecca, used with permission.

12. A bracelet worth a thousand words

“I adopted my youngest son as a single parent. He had cognitive disabilities from birth and an addictive personality, which made his teen years even more challenging. After so many difficult years of setbacks and struggles, he made a bracelet for me, with the word ‘HERO’ in big letters. Obviously, it is priceless to me.” — Lynda Pratscher

13. A truly one-of-a-kind book

“My husband and son found me THE most incredible and one-of-a-kind gift. One of my favorite authors passed in 2014. His name was Farley Mowat and he was an incredible Canadian author. My husband contacted his estate and was able to purchase a book for me from his personal collection. This gorgeous 1st edition book (one of my favorite childhood stories, originally given to my sister and I by our grandmother) actually sat on Farley’s desk in his home for 60 years (it’s a bit bleached from the sun) and is signed by the author. My husband snuck off to Port Hope, Ontario, to visit Mowat’s home and his favorite bookstore to find me this treasure and I shall be eternally grateful for such a thoughtful gift. I treasure it and will read it aloud to my son and new daughter when they are old enough.” — Kristen Meyer-Creamer

Photo via Kristen Meyer-Creamer, used with permission.

14. Miles and miles in the sky

“I don’t know if this fits the bill, but I’ll share anyway. The last three years my friends have treated me by paying for airline tickets so I could come and spend holidays with them. I’m retired and disabled and having a hard time making ends meet, and we all live in different places now. This year it was Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, same as last year, and 2014 brought me to Florida for Christmas. The most amazing part is that these are not my family but relatives of my friend, Mary, who had college Spanish with my roommate Sue in 1972. We have stayed friends since then, with marriages and deaths and births in between. They have become my family and have brought me into theirs and I so value them for it. Thanks for letting me share that.” — Pat Martin

15. Cherries that never miss a Christmas

“My mom always gave me a wrapped box of chocolate covered cherries every Christmas. The first Christmas without her, my daughter wrapped a box of the same candy and put ‘from Mom’ on the tag. Of course there were many tears but I felt her presence, which was the best present ever. It’s been 12 years and my daughter never forgets my candy. I can’t open it until everyone leaves.” — Mary Lou Keith

This holiday season, let’s remember that it truly is the thought that counts.

From hours and hours painstakingly creating a perfectly imperfect homemade present, to going the extra mile for a sibling when it really counts, you showed us that the love behind a great gift can stay with us forever. That’s what keeps the holidays so merry and bright.

We also asked you about the best gift you ever gave (spoiler alert: your answers were equally beautiful). You can read that article here.

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    Array – Photo credit: Array
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    Florida teacher fired for giving zeros to students who didn’t turn in their work

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.

    Kim Wong-Shing

    Upworthy Staff

    A Florida teacher has been fired for giving her students zeros for missing assignments.

    Diane Tirado has been a teacher for years. Most recently, she was an eighth-grade history teacher at Westgate K-8 School in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

    Diane recently gave her students two weeks to complete an Explorer notebook project, but several students simply didn’t hand it in. Since there was zero work done, Diane gave them zeros.

    She got fired for it.

    The elementary school has a rule called the “no zero policy.”

    The lowest possible grade that teachers can give students is a 50, even if they don’t turn anything in.

    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado
    A letter from fired teacher Diane Tirado Diane Tirado/Facebook

    It’s a rule that Diane, unsurprisingly, does not agree with. After she was fired for disobeying, she left her students a charming goodbye message on the whiteboard.

    “Bye kids. Mrs. Tirado loves you and wishes you the best in life. I have been fired for refusing to give you a 50 percent for not handing anything in. Love, Mrs. Tiado”

    The scale, as outlined by the school, reads as follows:

    A = 90 to 100

    B = 80 to 89

    C = 70-79

    D = 60-69

    F = 50-59

    Diane later shared the story on Facebook, hoping to spread awareness about the school’s policy.

    “A grade in Mrs. Tirado’s class is earned,” she said.

    “I’m so upset because we have a nation of kids that are expecting to get paid and live their life just for showing up and it’s not real.”

    Diane’s post has gone viral, and most commenters agree with her position – it’s not fair to hand out grades for work that doesn’t exist.

    “The reason I took on this fight was because it was ridiculous. Teaching should not be this hard,” Diane said.

    This article was originally published on 7.26.19 by our partners at Wimp.

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  • Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.
    Array – Photo credit: Deanna Wolf/Facebook
    , , ,

    Tired of being humiliated, these girls fought the sexist school dress code. And won.

    “In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is.”

    Evan Porter

    Upworthy Staff

    Four middle-schoolers sat at the podium. Poised. Confident. Ready to challenge the Portland Public Schools board on its dress code.

    Four teenagers stand at a wooden podium at a school board meeting
    Four students from Portland, Oregon, testified in front of the board in May 2015 Image via PPS Communications/YouTube.

    AnaLuiza, a seventh-grader, told a story of a friend who was pulled aside one day for wearing a skirt deemed to be too short.

    The friend sat in the principal’s office for hours while the staff tried to get ahold of her parents. She missed important classwork, and worse yet, felt humiliated by the ordeal.

    “The only reason I go to school is to get my education,” AnaLuiza told the board. “When I get dressed in the morning, my intention is not to provoke or be sexualized. My intention is to feel comfortable in my own skin.”

    Sophia, also in seventh grade at the time, spoke last.

    “My problem with the dress code is that 100% of the students that get sent home are female. … In a way, you’re telling [a girl] that boys are more entitled to their education than she is. And I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

    They were absolutely right. Because if you’re a preteen or teenage girl in America, you can get a dress code violation for almost anything: showing your midriff, shoulder, collarbone, leg, bra strap, or, in some cases, for just wearing something as harmless as spaghetti straps.

    Girl with blonde hair wearing a tank top and sweater and jeans
    Stephanie Hughes of Kentucky was cited for a dress code violation for this outfit, which sometimes shows her collarbone. Photo by Stacie Dunn/Facebook

    Girls who violate their schools’ dress codes are accused of being distractions and are often humiliated in front of their classmates.

    They’re then either sent home to change (missing valuable class time) or forced to cover up with “shame clothes,” like old sweatpants that have been lying around the guidance counselor’s office for who knows how long.

    This has been a problem for years, and a particularly frustrating one to solve. Almost everyone agrees schools need some kind of dress code, but almost no one can agree on what that should look like.

    A girl at school wearing loose fitting shirt and black leggings
    Deanna Wolf of Alabama says her 15-year-old daughter missed an entire class period simply for wearing leggings and a loose-fitting shirt. Deanna Wolf/Facebook

    But now, thanks to these brave Portland students and a couple of key community members, we might finally be making some progress.

    The school board, to the surprise of many, agreed the dress code needed fixing. But that didn’t mean it would be easy.

    A committee was formed, including Sophia (one of the girls who testified in front of the board), parents, teachers, and other community leaders. Lisa Frack, president of the Oregon chapter of the National Organization of Women, and a parent, was one of them.

    Frack said some issues were easy to fix, like the ban on spaghetti straps. That was quick to go. Others? Not so much.

    There was plenty of back-and-forth. Are short shorts OK? How about cleavage? What about all of the subtle (and not-so-subtle) policies that unfairly target students of color?

    A girl in yellow shirt smiling at the camera
    Marian Wilson-Reed of Texas says her 9-year-old daughter was pulled out of class because school administrators thought her natural hairstyle looked like a mohawk, which was against the rules. Marian Wilson-Reed/Facebook

    Then there was the issue of enforcement. Although hopefully, with the new dress code, there would be fewer violations, the committee wanted to find ways to eliminate shaming and missed class time for students who broke the rules.

    Despite debate on some of these specific issues, Frack said, the conversation always came back to the same basic point.

    Some board members “felt like they wanted a little line in there reminding everyone that this is a learning institution. But that’s exactly what we’re trying to get away from,” Frack said.

    “We don’t want to link clothing and learning. … You can’t learn math better or worse whether you have a tie on or a collared shirt or a tank top.”

    “We’re going to basically have people covering what you have to do to not be naked.”

    The final approved dress code, one of only a few like it in the U.S., was a major improvement. But perhaps just as important was the conversation sparked by the process.

    Gone was phrasing that specifically targeted bare midriffs, “plunging necklines,” or “sexually suggestive clothing.” The new, gender-neutral code essentially asks that students wear a top and a bottom (or a dress), and that their clothes not show profanity or reference drugs.

    It’s pretty simple. But the conversations that led to this point were anything but.

    “It raised the issue of people’s discomfort with how girls are objectified in this country. Is it a solution to tell them to cover up?” Frack said. She even recalled some of the adult members of the advisory committee having trouble talking about things like breasts and sexuality with a straight face — which, she said, is part of the problem.

    For now, though, Frack just hopes this code can serve as a model to other districts looking to get with the times. Portland just rolled out the new policy in the fall of 2016, so it remains to be seen how it’ll fare — especially when the weather gets hot again.

    But so far, Frack said, all she’s heard from parents is how happy their kids are to be free to be themselves without judgment.

    This article originally appeared on 9.1.16

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  • Immigrants explain why they personally celebrate the Fourth of July each year.
    Some different perspectives on the American experience. – Photo credit: Photo collage created from Pixabay
    , ,

    Immigrants explain why they personally celebrate the Fourth of July each year.

    This is what patriotism is all about.

    Upworthy Staff

    Some 300 million people live in the United States. And over 40 million of them are immigrants.

    Now, some people might have you believe that too many immigrants might cause us to lose our identity as Americans or that we ought to be fighting and clinging to “the way things were.”

    But if you look around, you’ll see that more than 1 in 10 Americans were born somewhere else — meaning they have their own unique set of amazing experiences to share and their own amazing stories about why they’re here.

    They each have their own ideas about what being an American means to them, too. And they each have their own reasons for celebrating American independence on the Fourth of July.

    So if you want to feel proud, excited, and maybe even a teensy bit emotional about being an American, this one’s for you.

    Meet five immigrants from all over the country (and all over the world!) who are showing their American pride in many, many shades of red, white, and blue this year.

    Mexican American experience, traditional, celebration
    Traditional food the celebrate the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@briewilly?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Chad Montano</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    1. Nayeli Ruvalcaba’s Fourth of July is full of traditional Mexican food and mariachi music.

    Ruvalcaba, who was born in Mexico but moved to Chicago when she was 4, spent her early childhood in a mostly caucasian neighborhood called Lakeview. There, she says the Fourth of July was pretty much what you’d expect.

    “Everyone would be making ribs and burgers and mac and cheese. And my dad would be drinking Budweisers and Coors Light,” she said with a laugh.

    Nayeli with her parents.

    But when she was 16, she moved to a more diverse area of the city filled with families from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Poland.

    There, she says, their holidays are much more vibrant. Neighbors gather in the alleys and share their customs and cultures with one another. They sing along with music (her boyfriend, who is in a mariachi band, often gets the party going). They play games. And then there’s the food: Nayeli says she loves to chow down on delicious Fourth of July dishes like arrachera (a Mexican skirt steak), polish sausage, guacamole, and, of course, burgers.

    “I know it’s an American holiday,” she says. “Buteveryone has their own culture. You just mix it in with what everyoneelse does.”

    Nayeli and her boyfriend in full mariachi get-up!

    watermelon, English tea, mishmash of culture
    Celebrating with a U.K. twist on the Fourth of July. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@cajugos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Caju Gomes</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    2. Johanna Dodd and her family celebrate their Fourth of July the “old fashioned way” but with a small U.K.-based twist.

    A one-year work contract for her husband brought the Dodds to Connecticut from the U.K. years ago. 12 years later, they’re still here.

    The Dodds!

    On their Fourth of July, she says, “We tend to do what everyone else in town does. We’ll head to the fireworks display with our cooler packed full of food, and, occasionally, we’ll sneak in some alcohol.”

    Sounds pretty American to me!

    Johanna’s young daughter watches the fireworks.

    “The kids run around, there’s lots of glow sticks, lots of football (both kinds) being played, lots of fun stuff happening. As it gets darker, there’s the national anthem, and then out come the fireworks.”

    But there is one slightly British twist to the Dodds’ holiday: “We don’t really do the tailgating thing. We bring what we would call ‘an English tea.’ There’s watermelon, yogurts, cheese sandwiches. Kind of a mishmash of both cultures.”

    grilling, fish, Liberia, American experience
    Bringing home country traditions to the American experience. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@clintbustrillos?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Clint Bustrillos</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    3. Martin Matthews says he never misses a Fourth of July parade and for a powerful reason.

    Matthews was 8 years old when he first came to America to escape a civil war in his home country of Liberia. One of his first memories? A huge Fourth of July parade in New Jersey.

    “I had never seen anything like that. The flags, the drums, everything. I remember watching in awe.”

    Martin with his wife.

    He returned to Africa later on but came back to live in America again when fighting broke out in his home country. And when he returned, that big parade stuck in his memory.

    “I always loved that about America. It was a place I could be safe. A place I could enjoy freedom,” he said. “To celebrate the independence of the United States holds a deep place in my heart.”

    These days, Martin is big on having barbecues with friends to celebrate Independence Day. There are a lot of burgers and hot dogs, but he’ll sometimes mix in traditional African dishes, too, like African-style kabobs, to introduce his friends to his heritage.

    “It’s a big thing in Africa for people to put fish on the grill, like the whole fish,” he added. “You put the whole thing on there. It was the first time some of my American friends had ever tried fish on the grill that wasn’t salmon.”

    But his favorite thing about the holiday is still the parades. “We get there early and wave our American flags. Every year I always wear some kind of American shirt. We sit there and watch everything. It’s my way of saying thanks to my adopted country.”

    cricket, India, celebrating holiday, University of Michigan
    Changing the rules to make it work. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@alken?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Alfred Kenneally</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    4. Jay Pockyarath mixes cricket with an American-style barbecue on Independence Day.

    “Ever since I was in eighth grade, all I wanted to do was come to the United States,” he told Upworthy. After finishing college in India, he finally got the chance when studying nuclear medicine at the University of Michigan. From there, he married an American woman and started a family.

    “The thing that works [in America] is that it’s a meritocracy,” Pockyarath said. “July Fourth is a celebration of that, in my mind. Of independence. Of the freedom to succeed.”

    Jay, who was born in India, proudly flies an American flag outside his home for July Fourth.

    Pockyarath has lived in the United States for over 40 years, so it’s no surprise that his holiday celebration looks pretty familiar: steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs on the grill. To him, what’s really important is spending time with family.

    “Usually we make up games,” he laughed. “We play cricket — not the way it’s supposed to be played, but with a tennis ball. We make up our own rules.”

    American flag, Fourth of July, friends and family, decorating
    Embracing the traditions and bringing your own flare to it. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@genefoto?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Gene Gallin</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a>

    5. Natalia Paruz is originally from Israel, and she decorates everything in red, white, and blue.

    Natalia is now a musician in New York City.

    “First I came here with my parents [about 20 years ago] for a year. At the end of the year, they went back to Israel, and I wanted to stay here,” she told Upworthy.

    Now she works as a musician in New York City. And she absolutely, positively loves the Fourth of July.

    “It’s a really fun day. It’s a day where you can put politics aside. It’s a day for celebrating the joy of this country.”

    Natalia and her husband host friends every year for a big meal. “I love decorating the house for the holiday with the flags. There’s always a big flag hanging from the flagpole. In the back, that’s where I really go all out. Every tree gets some kind of decoration!”

    “We make hot dogs, hamburgers — how can you not?” she said. “We also make tahini, which is a traditional Israeli food. It’s made of sesame seeds and it becomes a paste and you spread it on pita bread. Our friends here love it.”

    Natalia says an overabundance of food “as if you’re going to entertain a bunch of soldiers” is a nod to her Israeli roots.

    This year, she’s going out with friends to watch fireworks. “I wear a T-shirt that has an American flag on it and a bracelet with the colors of the flag. If you’re celebrating, you might as well go to the maximum.”

    It turns out, celebrating America means different things to different people. And that’s kind of the point.

    In my mind, the only thing better than a Fourth of July party filled with burgers, steaks, beer, and fireworks is a Fourth of July party filled with all of those things plus Mexican food and African music and “English tea” and tahini and mariachi bands and more.

    So whether we choose to embrace the “American way” of celebrating Independence Day (red meat and fireworks) or to use it as a chance to celebrate the unique melting pot of culture that is our country today or something in between, I think we can all agree that the America we have now is already pretty great.

    This article originally appeared on 07.01.16

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  • A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.
    Array – Photo credit: Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
    , , ,

    A shelter made online dating profiles for 22 animals. The results are adorable.

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit. But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love? That’s an idea some…

    Upworthy Staff

    Anyone who’s ever been on Tinder knows having a cute animal in the photo is usually a big hit.

    But what if Tinder profile photos only featured that cute animal? And what if, instead of a millennial would-be hooker-upper, it was the adorable dog or cat itself looking for true love?

    That’s an idea some animal shelters are toying with.

    “We are always trying to come up with … creative new ways to get our shelter dogs out in front of potential adopters,” says Karen Hirsch, public relations director at LifeLine Animal Project in Georgia.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Photo from Pixabay

    And experimenting with online dating for dogs and cats might just be working.

    The harsh world of pet adoption is extremely competitive: About 6.5 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters every year, each seeking a good forever home. It’s too big a need for shelter operators to just sit back and hope they all get adopted.

    That’s why you see adorable dogs on display outside the grocery store, partnerships with Uber that will bring puppies directly to you for playtime, and aww-inspiring social media campaigns like dogs in pajamas.

    An estimated 50 million people worldwide use Tinder. So LifeLine and other shelters and rescues figure why not give it a shot?

    After all, people using online dating apps are already looking for love and companionship — just maybe a slightly different kind.

    Hirsch says they recently created profiles for 22 of their dogs and cats.

    Animal profiles are also showing up on Bumble, which is home to another 20 million users or so.

    Like sweet Duke here.

    Animal Profile created by Mark Wales Original photo from Pixabay

    Each pet is assigned to a volunteer who creates the profile and handles the conversations after a match

    “In a crowded shelter, pets often get overlooked, but on a dating app, the animal becomes an individual,” Hirsch says. “People learn about them and form a ‘virtual’ attachment.”

    Plus the witty banter is oodles of fun.

    For LifeLine, the experiment is still new. But Hirsch says people are responding to it incredibly well so far.

    At the very least, Tinder and Bumble have proven to be great for word-of-mouth awareness-building on the importance of adopting shelter pets. The animals are getting dozens of matches. Hirsch says there have been more than a few online adoption inquiries, as well as people coming into the shelter to meet their “match” in person.

    She also notes that one of the matches even became a regular volunteer at LifeLine.

    This new animal dating idea has another upside for apps — and the people using them, too.

    Dating experts are finding that people are getting burned out by online dating. Between “ghosting,” “cushioning,” “the slow fade,” and a bunch more of those annoying slang terms, humans out there are wondering if dating apps are even worth the effort.

    For romantic love, who knows?

    But now that you might just meet the dog or cat of your dreams, that’s not a bad reason to keep on swiping.


    This article originally appeared on 01.10.18

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