Tiny Yorkshire Terrier Detects Breast Cancer in Woman, Jumping Up and Down on Her Chest in Alarm:
11-year-old Bella-Boo by Karena Kirk-Drain/ SWNS
A Yorkshire Terrier saved her owner’s life after jumping up and down on her chest to alert her to a cancerous lump. Eleven-year-old pooch Bella Boo wouldn’t settle in her usual sleeping place and kept trying to lie on Karena Kirk-Drain’s chest despite being pushed away. The dog’s odd demeanor continued over the next three weeks, and she even started to cry. When she wouldn’t stop weeping, it left Karena concerned about her health, but baffled vets confirmed that she was fit and healthy. Karena called it “a heartbreaking cry,” and thought the dog was “obviously trying to tell me something.” She continued licking and hopping on the 53-year-old’s chest and then doctors confirmed the lump being jumped on was breast cancer. The Blackpool, Lancashire woman then underwent life-saving treatment and believes the disease would have been missed if it wasn’t for Bella-Boo’s actions.
Vancouver Couple Converts Their Huge Resort Property into a Ukrainian Refugee Home for Dozens:
Ukrainian Safe Haven
Owners of a nature resort in British Colombia have put renovations on hold to open up the stunning 81-acre property exclusively for housing Ukrainian refugees. With their goal of hosting 100 people, the owners and operators of The Grouse Nest on Vancouver Island see the fleeing masses as equivalent to their own people, since Brian’s family comes from Ukraine. The 15,000 square-foot resort, which they were renovating into an event space and gallery, is nestled into a beautiful pine forest and surrounded by a crystal clear lake. The Holowaychuks decided to even reverse some of the work to ensure a livable space for as many people as possible. They’ve renamed their Grouse Nest property “Ukrainian Safe Haven”, and are now leasing the property for $1 a year to a new organization which a local law firm, McConnan Bion O’Connor & Peterson, helped format into a 501(c)3 nonprofit free of charge. Ukrainian refugees will be provided with food, education, transportation, and assistance with the settlement process to help get families back on their feet. They are invited to stay as long as they like.
Nonprofit Protects More Than a Million Acres of Rainforest So Far This Year – All With Public Donations:
Photo by Trond Larsen / Conservation International
In September, a Virginia nonprofit made a $500 million commitment to preserving biodiversity and, six months later, the Rainforest Trust and its partners have already protected more than one million acres of habitat so far in 2022. Since 1988, Rainforest Trust has safeguarded more than 38 million acres of vital habitat by establishing protected areas in partnership with local communities—all through public donations. Acres protected this year include projects in Belize, Ecuador, Guatemala, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The non-profit has been able to protect dozens of endangered species including turtles, frogs, spider monkeys, and sharks. Their work has helped preserve environments under threat and has opened up new doors to coexist with the natural world and preserve critical parts of ecosystems across the world.
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