This is an announcement with a link

Activism

Education

Pop Culture

Family

Subscribe

Couple buys new house and finds abandoned dog tied to a tree

Who could abandon that sweet face?

By

Gemma Davison

By

Mark Pygas

Molly, an adorable, affectionate 10-year-old pit bull, found herself tied to a tree after her owners had abandoned her. According to The Dodo, Molly had “always been a loyal dog, but, unfortunately, her first family couldn’t reciprocate that same love back,” and so when the house was sold, neither Molly nor the family’s cat was chosen to move with them.

While the cat was allowed to free roam outside, all Molly could do was sit and wait. Alone. Luckily, the young couple that bought the house agreed to take the animals in as part of their closing agreement, and as soon as the papers were signed, they rushed over to check in.

In a TikTok video, April Parker, the new homeowner, walks up to Molly, who is visibly crestfallen with teary eyes. But as soon as Parker begins cooing, “Baby girl…you’re gonna get a new home,” the pitty instantly perks up—all smiles and tail wagging.

“We are going to make her life so good,” Parker wrote in the video’s caption. “She will never be left all alone tied to a tree.”

@mollysnewlife The people that sold our house to us left behind their 10yr old dog they had since it was a puppy. I was so stressed we wouldnt get the house and something bad would happeb to her. We are going to maje her life so good. She will never be left all alone tied to a tree. @roodytoots ♬ Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) [2018 Remaster] – Kate Bush

The video has been seen upwards of 4 million times. Countless people commented on how enraging it was to see a dog treated so carelessly.

“I’ve had my dog since she was 7 weeks old. She just turned 10 a few days ago. I literally cannot imagine doing this,” one person wrote.”

Another added: “The tears in her eyes…she doesn’t understand why they could just leave her, it breaks my heart. People like that shouldn’t be allowed to be pet owners.”

A new beginning for Molly

Subsequent videos show Parker freeing Molly from her leash and introducing the sweet pup to her husband, with whom she was instantly smitten. It’s clear that this doggo was both relieved and elated to be taken in by her new family.

Since being rescued, Molly has accompanied her new mom and dad everywhere.

@mollysnewlife Replying to @ohitscourtney ♬ Lucky Girl – Carlina

“She’s sticking to our side,” Parker wrote. “She won’t stop following us around. It’s so sweet.”

Parker has created an entire TikTok channel documenting her newfound pet’s journey, aptly named “Molly’s New Life,” showing Molly enjoying warm baths, plenty of treats, cuddles…all the finer things in life.

But what Molly seems to enjoy most of all is car rides:

@mollysnewlife Taking Molly to get a treat! Stay tuned!! #mollysnewlife #goodgollymissmolly ♬ Happy Together – Weezer

And in case you’re wondering, the kitty is doing well, too, though it still prefers to stay outdoors.

Molly also has two indoor cat siblings who instantly welcomed her into the family. The video below shows one of them, Joofus, comforting a trembling Molly with kisses during a thunderstorm.

@mollysnewlife We had a big storm this morning and Molly was having a hard time. Joofus got on the bed and started comforting her. It was the sweetest thing. They got snuggled up and Molly went to sleep. Animals are amazing. #mollysnewlife #petsarefamily ♬ I Won’t Let Go – Rascal Flatts

It seems that
Molly has gotten the safe, loving home she’s deserved all along.

A reminder of why rescue stories matter

We know that animal abandonment is fairly common. According to The Zebra, almost 4 million dogs are either given up to shelters or abandoned each year. And still, it’s really hard to fathom how humans can treat such innocent creatures with such blatant disregard when they provide so much pure joy.

Thankfully, there are folks out there like the Parkers who know that taking care of animals like Molly is one of life’s most precious offerings.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

Add to Google News

Tags

More for You

  • ‘Reading Rainbow’ has finally found its new host—beloved librarian Mychal Threets
    Now this is some positive news. – Photo credit: media credit input
    ,

    ‘Reading Rainbow’ has finally found its new host—beloved librarian Mychal Threets

    For those who haven’t heard of this Internet-famous champion for “library joy,” get excited.

    Gemma Davison

    Undoubtedly, a major part of what made Reading Rainbow so special, what kept people coming back year after year for nearly two decades, was the show’s charismatic, inspiring host—LeVar Burton. Even after the series ended, Burton remains an advocate for literacy and libraries through his podcast LeVar Burton Reads, as well as hosting the 70th National Book Awards Ceremony & Benefit Dinner, and serving as the 2023 Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week in 2023 to highlight the importance of fighting censorship. The man is even an award-winning author himself.

    All that to say, these would be some pretty big shoes to fill, should the show ever come back. Lo and behold, the series is returning, and the new host couldn’t be any more perfect.

    Mychal Threets, a California-based librarian with an amazing afro, quirky threads, and a contagious smile, first began sharing TikTok stories about the everyday folks he met at the library where he worked during the pandemic. It was either that or dance videos, and “I’m no dancer,” Threets warned in a recent interview with TIME.

    Below is a small sampling of Threets lovely personality:

    According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Threets went viral in 2023 after sharing his experience of talking to a child whose grandparent was worried about library fines. Since then, Threets has used his Internet fame to spread “library joy” throughout the land, ensuring that it’s a “place for everybody to exist,” not just a book warehouse. And, boy, is it a message that’s been resonating with people.

    So when it was announced that a Reading Rainbow reboot would be happening on Kidzuko, a popular kids-focused YouTube channel hosted by none other than Threets himself, people were moved to say the least.

    Pretty soon, across various social media platforms, heartfelt praise for Threets began rolling in.

    “I laid in bed last evening and cried when I saw the news.”

    “You are a testimony to living your most authentic life and how that pays off and finding your passion.”

    “What a time to be alive! I can’t think of ANYONE better. “

    “Genuinely cried seeing the announcement, I’m so incredibly excited and I hope that this can catch my daughter’s interest and help her grow her love for books.”

    “Can’t think of a better way to move the legacy forward.”

    “My eyes are tearing up. Mychal you’ve come so far and are doing incredible things! You are gonna be remembered alongside the likes of LeVar Burton, Mr. Rodgers, Steve Irwin, and Bob Ross. Once in a lifetime gem.”

    Threets also went onto Facebook to share gratitude for his predecessor.

    “I was raised on Reading Rainbow</em>; LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere.”

    As we all wait on baited breath to see what Burton has to say, let’s take this time to congratulate Threets on this amazing milestone. It’s sure to inspire not only a love of reading for a whole new generation, but also lift a lot of spirits, too.

    Keep Reading →
  • British stand-up comic shows what English would sound like if we pronounced silent letters
    Michael McIntyre is a popular comedian from the U.K. – Photo credit: Raph_PH/Wikimedia Commons
    ,

    British stand-up comic shows what English would sound like if we pronounced silent letters

    Both eye-opening and hilarious.

    Parker Molloy

    One of the struggles people have with learning English as a second language is the number of silent letters our language uses that don’t seem to have much rhyme or reason. We are certainly not alone in using letters we don’t pronounce, of course—French is famously filled with them, and Danish words apparently make liberal use of them as well. However, there’s no question that silent letters can make language learning confusing for non-native speakers (and often for native speakers as well).

    British comedian Michael McIntyre did a whole bit demonstrating what English would sound like if silent letters weren’t silent. What if we pronounced the “b” in “subtle” or the “h” in “hour” or the “l” in “talk” and “walk”? When we start to pronounce the silent letters, we quickly see how many commonly used words have them, and the effect is both eye-opening and hilarious.

    When you speak a language that uses silent letters, you may not realize that there are languages that don’t. For instance, this comment on the video—”As a Finn, I’m relieved to finally hear properly spoken English”— only makes sense when you know that Finnish is a strictly phonetic language, meaning the letters you see spelled out are pronounced the same way consistently. Spanish is pretty consistent with phonetics, especially compared to English, and Italian and Greek are as well.

    So why does English utilize so many silent letters? As Merriam-Webster states, “Our language is a glutton, and it has taken words from an enormous number of other languages. Since we have words borrowed from languages that have different sound patterns, this results in English speakers pronouncing the words differently than in their languages of origin.”

    For instance, the word mnemonic has a silent “m” at the beginning, but it didn’t used to be silent. The word came to English from the Greek through Latin, and the “m” actually was pronounced in it even as late as the 1800s. Over time, we just dropped it. The same applies to the silent “p” in words like “psychology” and “psalm.” We used to pronounce it, and the French and Germans still do, but we’ve let the “p” go.

    Other words came from Dutch or German with sounds that aren’t standard phonetics in English, like the throat-clearing sound the “ch” combo makes in those languages (technically called a velar fricative). Words like yacht and night have that sound in the languages they came from, but since we don’t do the fricative thing in English, we just dropped it.

    What about the “l” in talk and walk, or would and should? In the former, the “l” affects the sound of the vowel, making it an “ah” sound instead of an “a” sound, as in “tack”. In the latter, the “l” used to be pronounced, at least in the 1500s in refined speech, but at some point got dropped.


    Interestingly, Merriam-Webster says could appears to be an anomaly among the -oulds, though: “It seems likely that could didn’t have the L in either spelling or pronunciation; notice that its root, can doesn’t have an L whereas shall and will (the roots of should and would) do. The thought is that the L in could was later added by analogy—rightly or wrongly—to make it better match with would and should.”

    Funny how language works.

    How about knife and gnome? Apparently, those were pronounced several hundred years ago, but over time, people just stopped. There’s not always a clear logical reason for such changes—sometimes it’s just easier, and when enough people do it, a collective shift in pronunciation occurs. The same applies to the “w” in “wrap” and “write.” They used to be pronounced, but isn’t it just much easier on the lips to not form the “w” first when the sounds just blend together anyway?

    silent letters, don't say it, english, language, golden girls
    There are a lot of letter sounds we don't say in English. Giphy

    And yes, we also borrowed from the famously silent-letter-friendly French, as seen in words like receipt, debt, and indict. However, as Merriam-Webster points out, “These words entered English from French in the medieval period, but later scholars recognized their Latin origins and stuck in the missing p, b, and c, just to make the etymological relationship completely explicit. The way we pronounce these words to this day reflects their French heritage (while their spelling reflects their more distant Latin roots).”

    One more fun fact: every letter of the alphabet is silent on occasion in the English language.

    So there you have it. That’s why silent letters abound. English is a mutt language in many ways, which has given us the delightful quirks and inconsistencies that make it a challenge to learn but oh so fun to joke about.

    Keep Reading →
  • 11 helpful services your Costco membership offers that you might be missing out on
    All the extra benefits and services you get with a Costco membership. – Photo credit: Images via Canva/pixelfit, Leung Cho Pan
    ,

    11 helpful services your Costco membership offers that you might be missing out on

    From insurance to check books, Costco has so many perks.

    Mandy Coles

    Costco is all about offering its members deals. The mega store offers two different memberships—Gold Star (which costs $65 per year) and Executive (which costs $130 per year).

    “Members can stretch their savings even further with an Executive Membership,” Kristen Markel, founder of Warehouse Wanderer, a blog dedicated to Costco shopping strategies, tells Upworthy. “That tier earns 2% back on nearly all purchases—including travel and car rentals—so you’re essentially stacking an additional rebate on top of Costco’s already discounted rates.”

    To help save extra money, Costco members shared on Reddit their favorite lesser-known perks that they get out of their membership. Here are 11 Costco services you may be missing out on:

    Car rentals

    “When I need a car rental my first stop to check prices is always Costco Travel,” Melissa Cid, consumer savings expert for MySavings.com, tells Upworthy. “Costco Travel consistently has some of the lowest rates on car rentals! Members get a free additional driver included, which normally adds $10 to $15 per day. That perk alone can save you more than the cost of your annual membership on a single trip.”

    Travel (hotels, cruises, vacation packages)

    If you’re looking to take a vacation in the future, check out Costco Travel for additional deals on hotels, cruises, and vacation packages.

    “We used Costco Travel to book our Costa Rica vacation this Summer. I get overwhelmed planning those sometimes. They made it easy to do, and they gave us a $200 gift card when we returned!” one member shared.

    Pet insurance

    If you have a furry friend at home, look into pet insurance options.

    “This perk can save pet owners hundreds of dollars a year on unexpected vet bills, while also giving them round-the-clock peace of mind,” Tom Bean, VP of insurance services operations at Figo Pet Insurance, tells Upworthy.

    Auto and home insurance

    Insuring your car and home are additional perks that Costco provides its members, who may also be eligible to receive additional discounts and benefits, such a roadside assistance, home glass repair reimbursement, and more.

    Prescriptions

    “Costco’s pharmacy has very low prices on generic prescriptions, sometimes even cheaper than insurance copays, and the same applies to many pet medications,” says Cid. “Even over-the-counter medicine cabinet staples like allergy pills are dramatically cheaper than at drugstores. I buy a bottle of Kirkland allergy medicine at Costco for 75% cheaper than generics at my grocery and drugstores.”

    Discounted gift cards

    “Costco members can score $100 in gift cards for about $80, and the selection includes not only restaurants and Uber Eats but I’ve even bought discounted Disney gift cards before!” says Cid. “If you want an easy way to save 10-25% off at a store, restaurant or entertainment then definitely checkout the current Costco gift card offerings. The physical gift cards offered in-store are great for presents around the holidays. When shopping online, the e-gift cards are quick to order for yourself for immediate use!”

    @aiyannace

    I love a good Costco run?‍↔️ #costco #membership #security #samples

    ♬ original sound – Aiyanna?

    Checks

    If you frequently write checks, you can order them through Costco rather than your bank.

    “I’ve ordered check books for my mom. Like 75% savings vs ordering them through my bank,” one member shared.

    Home improvement

    Need to get some repairs done on your home? Costco offers home improvement services.

    “I got a heat pump system installed by a vendor and got a great price,” one member shared. “I could run it through the executive card and get cash back. About 2 years later the compressor went out. It was from a bad install and the hvac company wanted to charge me a thousands to replace it. I escalated through the ranks of the hvac company to no avail. One call to Costco corporate to complain was all it took- the hvac company apologized and replaced it for free. I appreciated having the heft of Costco behind me to make them do the right thing.”

    Another added, “Replaced our garage doors through a preferred vendor. It was literally the exact same door we had quoted from another company, but cost was 25% lower not to mention all the rewards on top.”

    And another member shared, “I purchased a garage door and opener through them. Worked out well and got a 15% shop card.”

    Auto purchases and repairs

    You can buy a brand new or used car through Costco’s Auto Program, which also offers discounts on parts and repairs, including tires.

    “I bought my car via Costco,” one member explained. “Went into the dealership knowing what I wanted to pay and they basically offered exactly that. I showed up with my own financing and the entire process was super easy. Would absolutely do it again.”

    Hearing aids

    Costco also has a Hearing Aid Center, where members can have their hearing tested and purchase hearing aids.

    “Friend of mine was just telling me about his experience with them with their hearing aids – super great experience and cheaper too,” one member wrote.

    Vision testing, glasses, and contacts

    Another perk Costco offers is Costco Optical, where members can have their vision tested and purchase glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses.

    “Just got TWO pairs of glasses w progressive lenses — one progressive lenses w all the coatings and one progressive polarized sunglasses (the exact tint I wanted) — in name brand frames for under $450!!!” one member shared.

    Keep Reading →
Schooling sardines
Uncategorized

Hello world!

reading rainbow, levar burton, mychal threets, reading rainbow reboot, pbs, kids shows, books
Heroes

‘Reading Rainbow’ has finally found its new host—beloved librarian Mychal Threets

Michael McIntyre, comedian, stand-up comic, silent letters, English language
Humor

British stand-up comic shows what English would sound like if we pronounced silent letters

millennials, gen z, gen x, boomers, ask reddit, humor, generational humor, ask reddit
Internet

Millennials sound off of the 10 ‘cringe but correct’ hills they’re willing to die on

costco, costco membership, costco perks, costco services, costco benefits
Community

11 helpful services your Costco membership offers that you might be missing out on

Get stories worth sharing delivered to your inbox.

Advertisement

Featured

All Featured Stories →
journaling, tim, ferriss, fear, setting
Health

‘Fear-setting’: How a bestselling author conquers anxiety by writing down worst nightmares

Kat Hong
sleep, dr. andrew weil, fall asleep fast
Health

Doctor’s unique ‘4-7-8’ relaxation technique could help you fall asleep on-demand

Tazreena Sajjad & Mark Pygas
dogs; dogs favorite; dog's best friend; pets; people and pets; rescue animals
Joy

Dogs really do have favorite people, and here’s how they decide who it will be

Gabe Jewell
ethan hawke, the beatles, paul mccartney, john lennon, george harrison, ringom starr
Music

Ethan Hawke puts the ‘Who’s your favorite Beatle?’ debate to bed forever in passionate exchange

Tazreena Sajjad