American Humane Reunites Best Friends

Jul 4, 2021

Military Dog Handlers Reunite with and Adopt Their Former Canine Partners After Pups Retire

American Humane reunited both Army Veteran Michael Stepnovich and U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant Wade Alfson with the military dogs they worked with overseas. Not only did each man get a hug from their canine partner again, Stepnovich and Ssgt. Alfson both adopted their former patrol pals since the dogs are retired from active duty.

Ssgt. Alfson was the first to see his old friend again, reuniting with Xxanthe, the Belgian Malinois, after a year apart in Honolulu, Hawaii — where Ssgt. Alfson is currently stationed — on May 5. The pair served together for 18 months, including two tours in the Middle East on classified missions, where the duo worked to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Now, Ssgt. Alfson is thrilled to have the opportunity to adopt Xxanthe, his best friend, and give her a comfort-filled, love-filled life.

Along with Ssgt. Alfson, Xxanthe will be sharing her life with Kyra, a six-year-old Belgian Malinois that Ssgt. Alfson adopted after the dog failed out of military training because she was too startled by loud noises.

“Now that she’s retired, I mean, what a place to be retired into!” Ssgt. Alfson said of Xxanthe’s new Hawaiian home. “Just the beaches in Hawaii. I live two minutes from the beach, so Xxanthe, me, and my other dog will just take trips to the beach, hang out, just vibe in Hawaii.”

In May (2021), Stepnovich reunited with Popeye the military dog. The two served together for 18 months in South Korea. The partners put in 2,000 hours doing patrol missions but went the past five months without seeing each other before meeting again in Las Vegas.

“It was a lot of emotion. He looks amazing. It was a really emotional moment for me. I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s only been a few months for us, which is lucky, but it feels like it was a very long time,” Stepnovich said of the reunion. “I was just overwhelmed with joy to see him again.”

It is clear that Popeye missed Stepnovich. The 7-year-old German shepherd started showing signs of severe separation anxiety and was taken off duty after he and Stepnovich originally parted. The military retired Popeye early, allowing Stepnovich to adopt the dog. Stepnovich is looking forward to caring for Popeye and hopes to work with dogs in the future as a trainer or handler.

“Having him back in my life is going to be absolutely amazing. I’m so excited to just show him the area and take him on my adventures because I like to get out and do stuff here in Vegas,” Stepnovich shared.

American Humane, the country’s first and largest humane organization, made these reunions possible through its military program dedicated to protecting the dogs that serve the United States. One way the organization cares for military canines is by placing the pooches with their former handlers once they retire. The bond between dog and handler is often unbreakable, and both humans and canines benefit from getting the chance to enjoy their friendships in everyday life.

It is common for military dog handlers and their pups to get separated or reassigned, making it hard for handlers to keep track of their canine partners. American Humane helps military dog handlers find their former partners and adopt them when they retire, guiding the handlers through the complicated and daunting process of transporting the pooch to their home. The organization also helps cover post-retirement medical care for the canines and travel expenses.

“American Humane is thrilled to bring these heroic military dogs home to reunite with their best friends. Xxanthe and Popeye bravely served our country, and we are honored to give them the beautiful retirements they deserve. As we observe the upcoming Memorial Day and May’s Military Appreciation Month, American Humane encourages everyone to celebrate the incredible military heroes on both ends of the leash,” Dr. Robin Ganzert, the CEO of American Humane, said in a statement.

Learn more & Donate to: AMERICAN HUMANE

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From the Heart

Jun 27, 2021

Oklahoma imam left ’emotional’ over Jewish teen’s act of kindness

By: Rima Abdelkader / NBC News

An Oklahoma City imam highlighted interfaith unity in his community after a teenage girl, who identified as Jewish, asked him at his mosque to donate her babysitting money to help Palestinians.

The imam, Imad Enchassi, said he was working outside his mosque last week when a car dropped off a teenager in search of the imam.

She arrived Wednesday between prayers before sunset, and the only person there was Enchassi, who was wearing gym clothes and a cap while he did yard work.

“Apparently, I was not dressed as an imam,” Enchassi, 56, said with a laugh. “And then I said: ‘Yes, I’m the imam. Can I help you?'”

He said the teenager was carrying an envelope with $80 and told him that she wanted it to help a family in Gaza.

“I want you to tell them this is from a young Jewish girl that worked all week babysitting. And that we love them and feel their pain,” Enchassi said she told him.

The gesture, which caught Enchassi off guard, inspired him to write about it in a Facebook post that has been shared 4,400 times and has received hundreds of comments.

“Humanity is marvelous indeed,” he wrote.

“Your post made me cry,” a Facebook user wrote in response. “Crying with you,” Enchassi responded.

“Kindness, humility and love has no boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity or nationality,” another wrote.

Enchassi, who is Palestinian American, said one of his congregants lost several relatives in Gaza during violence between Israel and Hamas before the cease-fire.

So when Enchassi was given the gift, it left him “emotional,” he said, and he told the teen her act was “awesome.”

The imam said the teenager didn’t give her name when he asked, which he interpreted to mean she wanted to remain anonymous.

“For this young lady to come — I’m just imagining my teenager, my teenage kid and their strong sense of social justice and their strength,” Enchassi said. “So I can see that it’s … her heart being poured out for the people of Gaza.”

Enchassi said that he didn’t get a chance to ask but that he believes the donation was prompted by a recent rally the mosque hosted where a member of his congregation spoke about losing 14 of her family members in Gaza.

“You know, losing 14 members of your family is extremely hard,” Enchassi said. “So she was shaking, and her voice was breaking, and it affects everybody’s heart. I mean, it was a speech that spoke to people’s heart and to people’s humanity.”

The teenager’s act of kindness came after airstrikes between the Israeli government and Hamas last month. Violence erupted after Palestinians protested the removal of Palestinian families from land claimed by Jewish settlers in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

Reports of antisemitic attacks increased over that time and after the cease-fire. The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group, said its preliminary research found an increase in online and real-world incidents of antisemitism during that time.

It’s not unusual for local Jewish and Muslim residents to come together to raise money for groups, but it did stand out when the teen took action on her own, Enchassi said, noting that the Oklahoma City community is home to an interfaith alliance.

Enchassi wanted to share the anonymous donation in the wake of antisemitic sentiment to distinguish between religious identity and political norms.

“My heart breaks for any violence against any religion in the United States that is perpetrated by hate,” he said. “So, as Muslims, we know the feeling, and we know how bad it is to generalize about a certain religion … and definitely, we could relate to antisemitism from that perspective.”

Imam Enchassi and his family

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A Boy’s Efforts to Share with Others

Jun 16, 2021

Gloucestershire boy’s hubcap replacement campaign is praised

BBC News

Matthew, 14, who is autistic, finds the hubcaps, cleans them and tries to match them to cars that have lost them.

His mother Rachel Checksfield said 150 spare hubcaps are now kept in their front garden waiting to be given away.

Hundreds of people praised Matthew, from South Gloucestershire, after his story was posted on Reddit.

Mrs Checksfield, from Thornbury, said in three months Matthew had managed to replace about 20 hubcaps for people who had lost them.

He tries to match hubcaps in his collection to cars that are missing them, making a note of which make and model is required.

“All Matthew wants to do in life is to help people, he just loves people,” said Mrs Checksfield.

“When he was younger, we gave him frisbees and he attached the Ford logo on to them.

“He’s always had an interest in vehicles, and wanted to touch cars all the time even when they were moving so we’ve had to teach him to be careful around them.”

Although no one has yet thanked him in person, one recipient put a message in their car saying “thank you Matthew”, which Mrs Checksfied said delighted him.

(Make sure you read this beautiful note all the way through)

Mrs Checksfield said: “It is hard with autistic children sometimes because so much of their interests are in their head and you can’t always participate with them, whereas this – because he needs my help – he does verbalise it more.

“We’re incredibly close, but it is nice to be able to do this with him.”

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Freedom in the Water

May 23, 2021

How free swimming lessons are changing lives in Nashville

By Janet Shamlian / CBS News

On the surface, they’re just swim lessons. But in each lane of one pool, a life is changing thanks to the Nashville Dolphins program.

Laura Marshall says her 18-year-old son Grant is non-verbal and severely autistic. But in the water, he’s an athlete tasting success. “It’s just something you never thought would happen, and it’s happening,” Marshall said.

The program, which started in 2003, helps people learn to swim — both for fun and competitively. More than 230 swimmers participate in the programming and over 100 volunteers teach for free, helping families who are often financially burdened with medical expenses.

Brenda Vroon, who runs the program, said they teach the swimmers they can overcome their adversities. “We tell them they can and we know they can,” she said. “Just to see the things that they can do, it’s really amazing.”

The Nashville Dolphins has nearly 90 swimmers who will be competing in the Special Olympics this year.

For swimmers like Grant, it’s an experience for which there is no price. Grant started attending lessons when he was 8 years old. His older brother, Ian, swims for Southern Illinois University. “He just loves it,” Marshall said of her younger son.

“It gives them a sense of normalcy. It gives them peers and friends,” Vroon said. “It gives me joy.”

Donate to the NASHVILLE DOLPHINS program

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Being there at the exact moment when needed

May 9, 2021

Jogger with dog offers comfort to grieving child during father’s funeral

By: Steve Hartman/ CBS News

Fort Smith, Arkansas — Raelynn Nast, a 6-year-old has always been a daddy’s girl, according to her mother, Lacey. “She was very proud of her dad. She always wanted to introduce her dad to everybody,” Lacey said.

Raelynn’s father, Davey, died recently of colon cancer. He was just 41 years old. Raelynn was devastated. “It was a cry that was pure heartbreak,” Lacey said.

Enter Emily Beineman, who happened to be jogging with her dog, Blue, the day of Davey’s visitation. She was running past the funeral home when she heard a tiny voice call out from the chapel steps…. (you need to watch the video below).