Valerie’s Wild Run Comes to an End

Valerie, a miniature dachshund, survived 17 months alone in the Australian wilderness before finally making it home safe last April. See the photo of Valerie here.

She vanished in November 2023 during a family camping trip on Kangaroo Island, slipping out of a playpen while her owners were fishing. For more than 500 days, the 8-pound pup braved predators, harsh weather, and thick bush, evading rescuers time and again. Once, a princess whose owners dressed her in pink dog outfits, Valerie survived by eating roadkill.

Rescuers set up trail cameras and would occasionally catch glimpses of her, confirming she was still alive—footage that drew widespread attention and support on social media.

Volunteers with Kangala Wildlife Rescue finally brought her in using a custom-built trap scented with her bed, toys, and her owner’s worn T-shirt.

Now back home in New South Wales, Valerie has been declared healthy by a vet and is settling in with her family. Rescuers called her survival a once-in-a-lifetime feat of instinct and grit.

Dad Rescues Daughter After Cruise Fall

A dramatic rescue unfolded on June 29, 2025, when a 5‑year‑old girl fell from the fourth deck of the Disney Dream cruise ship into the Atlantic Ocean, and her father immediately jumped in after her.

An eyewitness said the girl was sitting on a railing when she slipped. Passengers reported hearing an “awful scream” and a huge splash before the crew sounded a “Mr. MOB … port side” (man overboard) alert. See photos here.

According to onlookers, the father and daughter tread water for roughly 20 minutes before Disney Cruise Line crew members pulled them into a rescue boat, as passengers applauded their safe return.

Both were unharmed, and Disney praised its crew for their rapid and effective response. Watch a video of the rescue here.

80-Year-Old Woman Breaks Ironman Record

Natalie Grabow of New Jersey made history in October 2025 when she became the oldest woman to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, at 80 years of age.

Natalie completed the 140.6-mile course in 16 hours, 45 minutes, and 26 seconds, winning the women’s 80–84 division in her tenth appearance at the event.

She qualified by winning her age group at Ironman Maryland earlier in the year and trained rigorously, logging up to 11 workouts per week.

A longtime runner who took up triathlons in her 60s, Natalie says she races not to prove anything, but simply because she loves it. And she’s not slowing down—more races are already on her 2026 calendar. Watch a video of Natalie.

Twins Go Viral for In-Sync Interview

Identical twins Bridgette and Paula Powers went viral this spring after giving a TV interview in perfect unison about their mother’s harrowing encounter with an armed carjacker in Queensland, Australia.

In a mesmerizing display of synchronicity, the 50-year-old sisters mirrored each other’s speech and gestures as they described how their mother remained calm. Watch the interview here.

The twins, founders of a pelican rescue nonprofit, credit their lifelong bond for their near-telepathic delivery, which has made them repeat viral sensations.

Texas Mailman Adopts Dog from Old Route

When Texas mail carrier Ian Burke learned that Floyd—a 70-pound dog from his old route—had been surrendered after his owner died, he arrived before the shelter opened to be first in line to adopt him.

Ian had delivered mail to the pair for over a year and remembered Floyd charging at him like an eager puppy the first time they met.

After his route changed, Ian learned from the carrier who took over his old route that Floyd’s owner—a Vietnam veteran—had passed away, and the dog was now at the City of Denton Animal Shelter.

“I don’t take it lightly—this isn’t some random dog I’m adopting,” he said, later calling the experience “probably one of the best things the postal service inadvertently issued me.”

Charlotte, a pint-sized pup with serious hops, lit up the terminal in this year’s most-clicked video, batting a red balloon across Beirut’s airport.

video via @ViralHog – YouTube

Presenting the most popular joke of the year 2025.

What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?

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“I sometimes find it difficult to believe that the woman going way too fast on her bike and running mile after mile like ‘The Little Engine That Could’ is my mom.”

— Amy Rousseau, on her mother Natalie Grabow’s record-setting Ironman World Championship finish at age 80