When The Rock heard about a sick puppy named after him, he didn't waste time.

    
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When The Rock heard about a sick puppy named after him, he didn't waste time.

In September, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had to make the heartbreaking decision to put his beloved puppy Brutus down.

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images.

"As all puppies and dogs do, he ate a mushroom while playing outside with his brother Hobbs," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "This mushroom happened to have a lethal toxicity and within hours it was rapidly destroying his liver and immune system to the point of no return. I encourage all of you out there to be mindful of mushrooms in your yards, parks, or anywhere outside your dogs play."

As tragic as Brutus' death was for Johnson, the actor continues to fight for dogs in need.

Dogs like this:

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 3-months, is still doing good and getting a lot of love here at Saving SPOT! Anyone who hasn't heard, Dwayne was dropped off at the North Central Shelter with a metal wire wrapped around the bottom portion of his mouth. The shelter removed it gave him 17 stitches. He was also diagnose with a Grade 5 heart murmur. Saving SPOT! took Dwayne in and took him to a heart specialist. After the exam, the specialist said it can be fixed and scheduled the surgery for December 18th. We're raising money for Dwayne and his surgery. You can donate at: https://www.gofundme.com/helpdwaynethepuppy PLEASE SHARE Dwayne's story. @therock #spotrescuedogs
A photo posted by Saving SPOT! (@spotrescuedogs) on Nov 21, 2015 at 6:38pm PST

Just this week, Saving SPOT! — a dog rescue shelter in Los Angeles — took in this 4-month-old puppy who was abandoned. According to the shelter, the dog was found abused, with "a large metal wire wrapped around his mouth," and a severe heart murmur, which would require expensive surgery to treat.

Because of the pup's resilience, the shelter decided to name him Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Actor Michelle Trachtenberg informed the original Rock on Twitter.

To which Johnson replied:

That's when, according to a Pix11 report, Johnson proceeded to give $1,500 of his own money to the campaign to pay for (puppy) The Rock's treatment. (The fundraiser ultimately met its goal, and then some.)

The shelter even put the two Rocks together in this fantastic side-by-side shot.

DWYANE UPDATE - Knowing that "the Rock" has got Dwayne the puppy's back, we are confident he will be a fighter and make it through this. Thank you all for your generous donations- thanks to you we have met our goal. Any funds that are raised and not used for Dwayne will go to the more than 60 dogs Saving SPOT! Rescue has now including 5 week old puppies, a dog with mange and breast cancer and numerous orthopedic surgeries. Please help us to continue saving lives. We are thankful for all of you this Thanksgiving! Please donate... https://www.gofundme.com/HelpDwayneThePuppy
A photo posted by Saving SPOT! (@spotrescuedogs) on Nov 25, 2015 at 4:22pm PST

What happened with The Rocks is a reminder that there are still far too many animals in America's shelters.

According to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 7.6 million pets enter shelters in the U.S. every year. And roughly 2.7 million of those animals — nearly 1 out of every 3 — are ultimately put down.

(Puppy) The Rock was lucky to make his way to a no-kill shelter, which raised the resources for his care, but many animals aren't.

Most no-kill shelters, almost by definition, don't accept every animal for lack of available space. The rest wind up in shelters that euthanize otherwise healthy animals because of overcrowding issues.

The solution is simple: Adopt.

(Puppy) The Rock is one of millions of great animals — puppies, kittens, adult and senior animals — currently living in shelters throughout the U.S.

I got this adorable guy from an ASPCA shelter two years ago:

Photo by Madalena Provo, used with permission.

And there's many more where that came from.

Not only does adopting mean one less homeless animal, it cuts down on the demand for puppy mill dogs, which results in fewer animals turning up in shelters in the first place.

In the meantime, both (puppy) The Rock and The (original) Rock seem to be doing great.

And why not? It's pretty hard not to love this guy.

Dwayne, 3-months, is doing good and has made a lot of new friends. We're half way to our goal for his heart surgery. Please share his story and help us reach our goal! https://www.gofundme.com/helpdwaynethepuppy @therock #spotrescuedogs
A photo posted by Saving SPOT! (@spotrescuedogs) on Nov 19, 2015 at 6:11pm PST

With any luck, he'll make a great family very happy one day.

Capital One

Capital One Impact Initiative

Veterans across the country are struggling to find stable housing. This affordable housing community is ensuring Los Angeles vets have a place to call home.

Courtesy of Creative Commons

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After years of service as a military nurse in the naval Marine Corps, Los Angeles, California-resident Rhonda Jackson became one of the 37,000 retired veterans in the U.S. who are currently experiencing homelessness — roughly eight percent of the entire homeless population.

"I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with no heat for two years," Jackson said. "The Department of Veterans Affairs was doing everything they could to help but I was not in a good situation."

One day in 2019, Jackson felt a sudden sense of hope for a better living arrangement when she caught wind of the ongoing construction of Veteran's Village in Carson, California — a 51-unit affordable housing development with one, two and three-bedroom apartments and supportive services to residents through a partnership with U.S.VETS.

Her feelings of hope quickly blossomed into a vision for her future when she learned that Veteran's Village was taking applications for residents to move in later that year after construction was complete.

"I was entered into a lottery and I just said to myself, 'Okay, this is going to work out,'" Jackson said. "The next thing I knew, I had won the lottery — in more ways than one."

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Couple's video of their cats having a 'spaw day' has taken the internet by storm

@dontstopmeowing/TikTok

Cats are notoriously weird. Everyone who's had cats knows that they each have their own unique quirks, idiosyncrasies, preferences, habits, and flat-out WTFness.

But even those of us who have experience with bizarre cat behavior are blown away by the antics this "cat dad" is able to get away with.

Kareem and Fifi are the cat parents of Chase, Skye, and Millie—literally the most chill kitties ever. They share their family life on TikTok as @dontstopmeowing, and their videos have been viewed millions of times. When you see them, you'll understand why.

Take Chase's spa days, for example. It may seem unreal at first, but watch what happens when Fifi tries to take away his cucumber slices.

@dontstopmeowing Chase was vibing ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##catsoftiktok ##VideoSnapChallenge ##Seitan ##trending ##duet
♬ original sound - Kareem & Fifi

When she puts them back on his eyes? WHAT?! What cat would let you put them on once, much less get mad when you take them off?

This cat. Chase is living his best life.

@dontstopmeowing Spaw day🐾 ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##catsoftikok ##somethingyoulearned ##upcycling ##trending
♬ original sound - Kareem & Fifi

But apparently, it's not just Chase. Skye and Millie have also joined in "spaw day." How on earth does one couple end up with three hilariously malleable cats?

@dontstopmeowing When will it end? ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##catsoftiktok ##Science101 ##ThriftFlip ##trending ##duet
♬ original sound - Kareem & Fifi

Oh, and if you think they must have been sedated or something, look at how wide awake they are during bath time. That's right, bath time. Most cats hate water, but apparently, these three couldn't care less. How?

@dontstopmeowing What I come home to ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##catsoftiktok ##FanTheory ##TikTokFitness ##trending ##duet
♬ original sound - Kareem & Fifi

They'll literally do anything. The Don't Stop Meowing channel is filled with videos like this. Cats wearing glasses. Cats wearing hats. Cats driving cars. It's unbelievable yet highly watchable entertainment.

@dontstopmeowing Where are they going? ##catsoftiktok ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##duet ##trending ##bakedoats ##homecook
♬ Surfin' USA - The California Surfers

If you're worried that Kareem gets all the love and Fifi constantly gets the shaft, that seems to be a bit for show. Look at Chase and Fifi's conversation about her leaving town for a business trip:

@dontstopmeowing Chase hates when I leave town ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##catsoftiktok ##clingypets ##winterbeautytips ##trending
♬ original sound - Kareem & Fifi

The whole channel is worth checking out. Ever seen a cat being carried in a baby carrier at the grocery store? A cat buckled into a car seat? Three cats sitting through storytime? It's all there. (Just a heads up: A few of the videos have explicit language, so parents might want to do a preview before watching with little ones.) You can follow the couple and their cats on all their social media channels, including Instagram and YouTube if TikTok isn't your thing, here.

If you weren't a cat person before, these videos might change your mind. Fair warning, however: Getting a cat because you want them to do things like this would be a mistake. Cats do what they want to do, and no one can predict what weird traits they will have. Even if you raise them from kittenhood, they're still unpredictable and weird.

And honestly, we wouldn't have them any other way.

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This family’s journey to adoption demonstrates the transformative power of love

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We're redefining what normal means in these uncertain times, and although this is different for all of us, love continues to transform us for the better.

Love is what united Marie-Claire and David Archbold, who met while taking a photography class. "We went into the darkroom to see what developed," they joke—and after a decade of marriage, they know firsthand the deep commitment and connection romantic love requires.

All photos courtesy of Marie-Claire and David Archbold

However, their relationship became even sweeter when they adopted James: a little boy with a huge heart.

In the United States alone, there are roughly 122,000 children awaiting adoption according to the latest report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. While the goal is always for a child to be parented by and stay with their biological family, that is not always a possibility. This is where adoption offers hope—not only does it create new families, it gives birth parents an avenue through which to see their child flourish when they are not able to parent. For the right families, it's a beautiful thing.

The Archbolds knew early on that adoption was an option for them. David has three daughters from a previous marriage, but knowing their family was not yet complete, the couple embarked on a two-year journey to find their match. When the adoption agency called and told them about James, they were elated. From the moment they met him, the Archbolds knew he was meant to be part of their family. David locked eyes with the brown-eyed baby and they stared at each other in quiet wonder for such a long time that the whole room fell silent. "He still looks at me like that," said David.

The connection was mutual and instantaneous—love at first sight. The Archbolds knew that James was meant to be a part of their family. However, they faced significant challenges requiring an even deeper level of commitment due to James' medical condition.

James was born with congenital hyperinsulinism, a rare condition that causes his body to overproduce insulin, and within 2 months of his birth, he had to have surgery to remove 90% of his pancreas. There was a steep learning curve for the Archbolds, but they were already in love, and knew they were committed to the ongoing care that'd be required of bringing James into their lives. After lots of research and encouragement from James' medical team, they finally brought their son home.

Today, three-year-old James is thriving, filled with infectious joy that bubbles over and touches every person who comes in contact with him. "Part of love is when people recognize that they need to be with each other," said his adoptive grandfather. And because the Archbolds opted for an open adoption, there are even more people to love and support James as he grows.

This sweet story is brought to you by Sumo Citrus®. This oversized mandarin is celebrated for its incredible taste and distinct looks. Sumo Citrus is super-sweet, enormous, easy-to-peel, seedless, and juicy without the mess. Fans of the fruit are obsessive, stocking up from January to April when Sumo Citrus is in stores. To learn more, visit sumocitrus.com and @sumocitrus.

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A man studied photography in prison. These are the photos he took when he got out.

When Donato Di Camillo was a kid, his family couldn't afford film for their Polaroid camera.

So instead, he ran around the house with a film-less camera pretending to be a hotshot photographer on an African safari, mimicking the heroes behind iconic photos he saw in the discarded National Geographic magazines his dad grabbed for him out of the garbage.

Years later, when Di Camillo found himself in prison after collecting a lengthy rap sheet of thefts, he discovered a library full of those same magazines.

While other inmates were working out or getting into trouble, he pored over old issues of National Geographic, Life, and Time.

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This Nicholas Brothers' legendary tap routine was unrehearsed and filmed in a single take

laughland/YouTube

There have been many iconic dance routines throughout film history, but how many have the honor being called "the greatest" by Fred Astaire himself?

Fayard and Harold Nicholas, known collectively as the Nicholas Brothers, were arguably the best at what they did during their heyday. Their coordinated tap routines are legendary, not only because they were great dancers, but because of their incredible ability to jump into the air and land in the splits. Repeatedly. From impressive heights.

Their most famous routine comes from the movie "Stormy Weather." As Cab Calloway sings "Jumpin' Jive," the Nicholas Brothers make the entire set their dance floor, hopping and tapping from podium to podium amongst the musicians, dancing up and down stairs and across the top of a piano.

But what makes this scene extra impressive is that they performed it without rehearsing it first and it was filmed in one take—no fancy editing room tricks to bring it all together. This fact was confirmed in a conversation with the brothers in a Chicago Tribune article in 1997, when they were both in their 70s:

"Would you believe that was one of the easiest things we ever did?" Harold told the paper.

"Did you know that we never even rehearsed that number?" added Fayard.

"When it came time to do that part, (choreographer) Nick Castle said: 'Just do it. Don`t rehearse it, just do it.' And so we did it—in one little take. And then he said: 'That's it—we can't do it any better than that.'"

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