A lot can happen in five years. You can go from childless to a father of six, earn a degree, you can live through what feels like half of 2020. Everything can change in half a decade, which makes Kendra Armstrong’s story that much more incredible.

Five years ago, Armstrong’s beloved cat Moose went missing. As time went on, it became less and less likely that her furry family member would return home, but she didn’t lose hope. In early 2021, Armstrong was scrolling through her local animal shelter’s website when a familiar face made her stop dead in her tracks.

Among the cats and kittens of all shapes and sizes was an unmistakable face she hadn’t seen in half a decade. In a state of shock, Armstrong called the Midcoast Humane Society, in all likelihood, assuming it was an uncanny look-alike.

When the staff explained that “Oldest” had been in and out of the shelter for the last five years, Armstrong was in disbelief. Moose (aka Oldest) was alive, safe, and incredibly, nearby.

The shelter posted the heartwarming story on Instagram, thrilled that their favorite senior cat was exactly where he belonged. The caption explained, “It turns out that ‘Oldest’ is really named Moose, and he had been living in a loving home until he got out one day in 2015. His person searched and searched for him, but couldn’t find him.”

The post continued, “She couldn’t believe it when she recognized his picture on the Adoption Page of our website FIVE YEARS later. She contacted us right away and sure enough, Oldest was Moose! Last Friday – the first day of 2021 – he was able to finally go home with his person, who was ecstatic to be reunited with her beloved cat.”

According to Armstrong, Moose could not be happier. “Moose (oldest) knows he’s finally home and he does NOT want me to leave his sight (I don’t blame him at all because I feel the same way) I am so grateful to have him home with me.”

 

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As the holidays near, there’s one question every parent must be emotionally and spiritually prepared to answer: “Can we get a pet?” It’s the question kids ask relentlessly, usually with their cutest smile and most innocent eyes. They will fill you with vague promises to “do all the work” (spoiler alert: they will not) and “take care of it.” If your kids are too young to ask this, you’re not off the hook, because it’s coming. According to a new study, the average kid will beg their parents for a pet nearly 1,600 times before the age of 18.

Pets are the wildcard for a family. We love pets so much, we have an entire Facebook group just to share stories and cute pics of all of our (your) furry friends. And let’s be honest, the pets aren’t just for the kids either. But before that pet enters your family, you’re going to have to rebuff hundreds and hundreds of requests for it.

The research was based on a survey of 2,000 parents of school-age children and found almost three-quarters of them asked for a pet. They found kids start asking for pets around age 6 and once it starts, it DOES. NOT. STOP. On average, kids keep asking around 11 times per month. The survey was conducted by OnePoll and found most kids want a dog (nearly 80 percent).

This isn’t too surprising, as I think I’ve heard requests for a puppy 1,600 times since Tuesday alone. The parents said the requests come pouring in even more during the holiday season (that’s now!). But, parents also said they’ll remember getting a pet fondly, with nearly 90 percent saying it was one of the best gifts they ever received.

Getting a pet is a major decision, as it will inevitably cost more than you thought. At the same time, it will bring your family immense joy (before terrible sadness, someday, I mean it kinda goes together). So while you prepare to make that leap, in the meantime, make sure you have a way to deflect the same question asked hundreds of times over.

With COVID disrupting sports as we know it, teams have gotten creative when it comes to making their stadiums look less empty. Some stadiums have gone to town with their creativity, turning their stadiums into canvases for whatever absurdity they could dream up. Others filled their stadiums with touching tributes, using their abundance of space for a good cause. When the Los Angeles Lakers played the Denver Nuggets in game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the NBA decided to tell a tail of their own.

During the broadcast, 28 “100% adoptable and 100% adorable” dogs and two kittens along with their foster families (virtually) sat courtside, watching the game and doing some shameless self-purrmotion. To make this furry magic happen, Best Friends Animal Society teamed up with Michelob ULTRA to highlight some of their top dogs (and cats).

 

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The Best Friends Animal Society website explains, “Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in shelters nationwide from an estimated 17 million per year to around 625,000. That means there are still more than 1,700 dogs and cats killed every day in shelters, just because they don’t have safe places to call home. We are determined to bring the country to no-kill by the year 2025.”

To give some of their adoptable animals a running start in the race to find their forever homes, the broadcast also included a link where interested viewers could learn more about adopting the courtside critters. So far, the Lexington Humane Society adopted a Chihuahua named Jolene after a family spotted the 4-pound wonder in the stands. According to the Best Friends website, seven other pawsome pups have been adopted as well thanks to their baller friends.

Adopting and fostering is more important than ever, since many shelters across the country were forced to close to the public after the COVID pandemic began.

Valerie Dorian, chief development officer for Best Friends told Today, “We are concerned and we want to make sure that people are thinking about the animals and how they can help.” She continued, “Now is a great time to have a pet in your home as people are working at home, to have a buddy to watch an NBA game with, or just to be your companion in life and everything that you do.”

Best Friends hoped to both promote the adoption of shelter animals around the country, and to encourage others to foster animals in need. Opening your home to an animal who has been given a second chance at life is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Watching them grow and become bolder as they learn that with you, the world isn’t such a scary place. And even better, you’ll never watch a game alone again.

If you’re interested in adopting, check out the Best Friends website, or find a shelter near you.