The Good News Collective is a handful of short, positive news blurbs designed to remind us that there is still a lot of good going on out there in the world amidst the COVID pandemic.
Empty Kennels, Full Hearts
An animal shelter in Palm Beach County celebrated a special occasion in April when they completely emptied one of their dog kennels and celebrated that all dogs had new homes. A video of the staff standing and applauding in front of the empty kennels was captioned "For the first time in the history of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, we have completely emptied one of our three dog kennels." The animal shelter thanks the community as well as its staff and volunteers who worked diligently to find these animals new homes.
Feline Luxury
More from the animal world…a luxury cat hotel in the United Kingdom is providing free accommodations for cats whose owners are hospitalized or too sick to care for their pet. Since the cat hotel is quieter than usual the owners decided to put the facilities to use for those who need extra help, saying they will look after cats free of charge until their owners are back on their feet.
The Gift of Honesty
A 19-year old in Albuquerque named Jose headed to the ATM to make a deposit, and ended up making quite the discovery. A clear plastic bag on the ground was filled with cash totaling $135,000. After recovering from a few seconds of shock, Jose quickly called the police. Following a short investigation, it was discovered the cash had accidentally been left on the ground by a worker who had been refilling the ATM. The police believe it may be the biggest amount of money found, and returned, in the city's history. A special ceremony was held to honor him (despite his protests that it wasn't needed) and Jose has received gift cards, a scholarship and even an invitation from the police chief to apply for a job. Jose's mother was so proud of her son and said his honesty and integrity were the best gifts she could ever receive. Jose had discovered the money on Mother's Day.
New State, Same Honesty
Just a couple weeks earlier, two teenagers in Arkansas showed the same kind of character. While at the grocery store they came across $600 folded in half on the floor. They immediately turned it over to a store employee. Just minutes later, an elderly man returned to the store looking for the money he had lost. It took some searching on the part of the store to help find the teens who had done the good deed. They hadn't left their names and wanted nothing for what they had done.
No Age Limit on Heroism
A 3-year old boy in New Hampshire helped police rescue a woman trapped inside her basement for more than three days. The 3-year old was out walking with his mother when he spotted his neighbor's newspaper and took it up to her porch for her. But the youngster thought something might be wrong when he found the previous day's papers had not been picked up. The police were contacted and upon entering the home discovered she was trapped in a small corridor in the basement. She sustained a few minor injuries but is in good spirits. She is thankful for a little boy who was observant enough to wonder if something might be wrong.
