20 Feel-Good Stories That Deserve More Attention From The World

Look through your news feeds and what do you see? Probably precious little to bring a smile to your face; bad news usually seems to be the order of the day. But is the world really such a hostile place? We’ve dug out stories we think give a rather more optimistic take on life. These feel-good tales cover everything from Tasmanian Devils to a Tooth Fairy pilot, duckling-fostering dogs, and two heroic nurses. You’re welcome!

1. Dog fosters duckling

Fred the golden Labrador is one canine who apparently has a very well-developed sense of parental responsibility. And it doesn’t just extend to youngsters of his own species: Fred specializes in adopting ducklings. The English dog got started back in 2018 when he was ten, taking on nine orphaned young ducks. But in the summer of 2022 he surpassed even his own previous good works with his adopted feathered friends.

Second nature

In his second bout of fostering, Fred took on no fewer than 15 orphan ducklings. Fred lives at Mountfitchet Castle in Essex with his owner Jeremy Goldsmith. He told the website of British newspaper the Daily Mail, “Over the 15 years of owning him Fred has spent a lot of time at the castle with the animals and it has become second nature to him being amongst the various rescued animals.”

2. The Matterhorn

The Matterhorn, an almost 15,000-foot Alpine peak straddling the Swiss-Italian border, holds a special place in the world of mountaineering. It’s a summit any seasoned climber is keen to tackle. But for Briton Neil Heritage it presented unique difficulties. Back in 2004 Heritage was a corporal in the British Army serving in Iraq when an insurgent blew himself up. The soldier lost both legs above the knee in the explosion. 

Third time lucky?

Despite his injuries, Heritage dreamed of reaching the Matterhorn summit. But the first two times he made the attempt, he was foiled by severe weather conditions. Would it be third time lucky? Yes! In August 2020 the former soldier and his buddies reached the summit, a stupendous achievement. The icing on the cake was the $7,000 Heritage’s climb raised for his disabled veterans’ charity.