We’ve enjoyed sharing so many incredible stories over the past 12 months- Here are the 7 most popular stories on the Good News Shared website in 2017.
1. Three-Month-Old Puppy Dumped After Couple Break Up
A young woman originally bought a Jack Russell Terrier cross, named Ella by The Mayhew Animal Home staff, for her boyfriend. But when they suddenly broke up, poor Ella was no longer wanted.
At first the boyfriend was undecided whether to keep Ella or not, but eventually turned up at The Mayhew to sign her over.
When the charity Adoption Officers informed him that they were overwhelmed with a surge of dogs and puppies being left in their care before Christmas and suggested he try another rescue shelter, the boyfriend decided to pass Ella to members of the public outside.
Luckily The Mayhew staff saw this and they made the decision to take her into their care straight away despite being stretched for space.
Now called Pippa, the gorgeous dog is enjoying her new life in a loving home, and particularly enjoys cuddles from her new family.
Click here to read the full story.
2. 30 Inspirational Stories That Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
It can feel like the world is full of horrible people and situations sometimes, but people aren’t always doing awful things. Often, people are wonderfully kind and compassionate.
For our 3rd birthday we put together 30 inspirational stories from the past three years to remind everyone of the good stuff that happens.
3. Feeling paw-ternal: Barney the Labrador adopts Battersea kitten
Found cold and abandoned in a London garden aged just days old, things were looking bleak for kitten Ava – until she was rushed into Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where she met Labrador Barney.
Ava spends much of her day in the Battersea clinic office – and it is here that she met Barney, who quickly decided that he was the top dog for the job of kittensittting.
The three-year-old Labrador has been taking his duties very seriously – snuggling with Ava, playing with her, and monitoring her every move around the office to make sure she’s safe. The duo even like to watch TV together during break time, with Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs being their favourite programme.
Like Ava, Barney had a difficult start to life. He was born on a puppy farm and ended up with owners who soon found they couldn’t cope with a lively puppy. They bought Barney into Battersea in 2014 and Head Nurse Rachel Ab’dee fell in love with him and adopted him.
Click here to see more cute photos of Barney and Ava together!
4. Young Woman With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Shows It’s Possible to Get Through the Challenge and Achieve Great Things
When CICRA – the only UK registered charity formed solely to support the ever increasing number of children and young adults with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease – IBD) and their families – was formed in 1978 there were no paediatricians specialising in Crohn’s and Colitis in children.
CICRA set up a Fellowship Scheme and many of the leading doctors treating children and young people throughout the UK today have had their specialist training through this scheme. Young doctors wishing to specialise in gastroenterology are still able to take advantage of this opportunity provided by CICRA.
Karina Punia, a young Ulcerative colitis sufferer, shared her diagnosis story and experiences with us, along with how CICRA has helped her over the years.
“CICRA has been a huge support to me and my family ever since I was diagnosed aged 7. For the past 15 years, they have provided invaluable information in coming to terms with suffering a chronic illness from such a young age. The opportunity to meet other young people suffering at their family days has made me a more confident person and me and my family have never felt alone,“ says Karina.
5. The Surplus Kitchen: a pop up café on a mission
Inspired by The Real Junk Food Project (a network of ‘pay as you feel’ cafes around the UK that use food that would otherwise end up in landfill), four friends got together just over a year ago to create a pop up food waste café.
So far, they have saved a staggering 3,607 kg (that’s over 3 tonne) from landfill.
The Surplus Kitchen team serve up Sunday lunch twice a month from 12pm in a church hall in Stafford, and meals cost just £6 for an adult. A Pay It Forward scheme is also available, with guests being able to pay for an extra meal that can be claimed back for free by anyone. This ensures there is good food available to everyone.
Meals are served in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, using food that would otherwise be destined for waste.
The pop up café regularly attracts more than 100 customers, and any profit is given to charity.
6. Eight-Year Old Boy Makes Care Packs for Homeless People and Starts GoFundMe Page
When eight year old Adrian met a homeless man in Toowoomba’s CBD (central business district), he wanted to take the man home so he didn’t have to spend the night in the cold, and extend that kindness to the hundreds of others in the area who he learned also may not have homes.
Adrian spoke further with the man about how his life had transpired and after giving him some money, Adrian returned to his home but couldn’t stop thinking about the unfairness of the man’s situation. So the young boy continued to donate any money he had to helping the man have access to basic fundamentals such as toothpaste, body wash, water and warm clothes.
Adrian still felt he needed to do more.
That was when Jennifer, Adrian’s mother, stepped in and helped Adrian make another 50 care packs of clothes, toiletries and food for homeless people in their community.
On each pack there was a note saying “I care about you. With love xo”.
Adrian and Jennifer enlisted the help of their family to distribute the packs to individuals at Toowoomba’s Base Services – one of many scattered across the country. Delighted by the response from the care pack recipients, Adrian said to his mother “Did you see their huge smiles?”
The eight-year old went on to set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for another 50 care packs. Already the donations have amounted to over $2,000 and Adrian has started to put together the care packs, and plans to prepare some for children in the area who may need them.
7. Missing cat returned home after 12 YEARS as owner refused to give up hope
When Sue Hopkins’ young cat Hermione disappeared she wasn’t sure she’d ever see her again.
You can imagine her surprise when 12 YEARS later she received a phone call out of the blue to say the RSPCA had her long-lost missing puss…
Sue was living in Redbridge, London, in 2004 when she brought home little tortoiseshell puss Hermione.
“We got her when she was a kitten from our childminder whose cat had had a litter,” Sue explained. “But unfortunately she didn’t get on with our other cat, Snowy, so we asked someone to look after her for a week while we made some arrangements in the house to keep both cats happy.”
But, sadly, after a series of events, Hermione went missing and Sue was devastated.
The family moved from their home in Redbridge, and went on to move three further times before settling in Walthamstow. Each time they moved Sue contacted the microchip company to change the contact details on Hermione’s microchip – just in case.
“My daughter would always ask me why I kept calling to update the details,” Sue said. “But it only takes 30 seconds to pick up the phone and update the details so just because of that one in a million chance I thought I would keep doing it.”
The RSPCA were contacted by members of the public who were concerned for the welfare of a cat who they believed lived with a man in Billericay, Essex, who had sadly died around a month earlier.
Officers went to check on the cat and, a few days later, were finally able to catch her. She was suffering from fur loss and a flea problem. When they spoke to the daughter of the homeowner who had passed away she explained that the female tortoiseshell had not belonged to him. They scanned her for a chip and, sure enough, she was registered to an address 27 miles away in London.
Twelve years after she’d gone missing Hermione returned home to Sue!
Sue’s daughter, Emma, who was in primary school when Hermione went missing is now 20 and was amazed to have her home! The family have also been joined by 10-year-old Isabel and Leo, four, since the puss went missing.
The family still have Snowy – who is now aged 20 – and also own another cat, Toffee, so they are hoping the trio will get on better now they’re older.
Click here to read more about Hermione and Sue’s reunion.
