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Doggy daycare separates dogs by this one personality trait, and it works wonders

Is your dog a Side A or Side B?

via Canva/Photos

Dogs having fun at the dog park.

When you take your dog to a dog park or a doggy care, they are often divided by size. It makes sense; we don’t want our little chihuahua to defend itself if a giant Bull Mastiff gets angry at them. The rule of thumb is usually that dogs that are 35 pounds and under go to one side of the park, and those 36 and over head to the other. This helps to ease the friction between animals and owners as well.

However, Red Rover doggy daycare in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, takes a different approach to dividing the pooches at its facility, where pets can spend the day at doggy day care, spend a few nights in the boarding rooms, or get the "spaw" treatment. At Red Rover, they divide the dogs by energy levels so that the chill dogs don’t have to deal with a yappy pup hopping all over them or trying to get them to play. Its website says that Red Rover offers a “Temperament assessment of all dogs; small-sized play groups are assigned daily and contain only dogs of similar age, size and/or energy.”

The temperament assessment is working, evidenced by a recent TikTok post juxtaposing Side A, where the low-energy dogs chill, and Side B, where the high-energy pups play until they are entirely zonked. The video was a massive hit on TikTok, receiving over 1.1 million views.

@redroverhhi

Can you tell the difference 😂? #dogsoftiktok #doggydaycare #dog #dogtok copied @Barkcollective

As you can see, the experiment has worked with both sides becoming a place to relax after the high-energy dogs completely wear themselves out."One group will usually be much higher energy with lots of various play going on, and the other will be pretty quiet and slow," Paige Grisette, the owner of Red Rover, told Newsweek. "The group sizes will vary widely, but it's also important to have a good person-to-dog ratio, which keeps groups (and management) safe."

"So A side it's actually B side after a few hours," Dani wrote in the comments, to which Grisette responded, "Yes." Another commenter wasn’t sure where her dog would fit. “My wee chihuahua cross is energy level B but would get flattened," Charlotte wrote. "We have a different group we call the “littles” for xsmall dogs that are hyper!" Grisette responded.

@redroverhhi

some more good fur babies ❤️ #doggydaycare #dogsoftiktok #dog #dogtok #gooddog #fyp #fypシ

"Introverts vs extroverts," Damian wrote.

"Side A is for the dogs that made their owners think getting a second dog was a good idea, side B is full of the second dogs," Robert wrote.

"My dog is definitely a side B. Unfortunately, I am a side A," Miss Leonard wrote.

"This is honestly looking like the most effective sorting I've ever seen," Smart Idiot wrote.

"If daycares did that, my kids would be side B. So if i learnt anything is to never accept job offer for side B, it's exhausting," Serli wrote.

dog, happy dog, labrador, smiling dog, dog at attention, cute dog, dog photos, good boy dog,A happy dog.via Canva/Photos

Ultimately, the heartwarming takeaway from this story is that every dog, like every human, has their place in the world, and we will all feel and do our best when in the right environment to thrive. For some, that means hanging in the shade with the chill folks; for others, it means mixing it up and going hard with the fast crowd. But, in the end, we all eventually need to hang back and relax in the shade.

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Kids as young as 4 are learning to code in the back of a laundromat. And they love it.

This laundromat offers a whole lot more than clean clothes.

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Microsoft

In Charleston, South Carolina, kids are learning code in the back of a laundromat.

In March 2016, the Charleston Women in Tech group, a nonprofit that supports women who are building their careers in the tech industry, started a program called CodeOn. The program's goal is to offer coding classes to kids who weren't being exposed to it at school or in their neighborhoods.

All images via Charleston Women in Tech, used with permission.

They were determined to give kids in the area the chance to learn a new skill without having to leave their community but didn't want to hold the classes at school because they thought it might be hard to get kids to commit to spending their evenings there. So when they learned about Laundry Matters — a laundromat that doubles as a community center, it seemed like a great fit. The two groups joined forces.

Their plan worked. The program kicked off on March 2, and kids ages 4 to 17 showed up, ready to learn how to code.

The laundromat where it all started.

CodeOn’s goal? To make coding accessible. And to show kids that in tech, there are opportunities.

Each week, the kids get together and work on their coding skills with their mentors, volunteers who work in various roles within the tech industry. They're given the chance to explore code — and through code, to see what they are capable of.

"The awesome thing about coding is that, if you just have a laptop and internet access, you can literally create a billion dollar company on your own," Carolyn Finch, the executive director of Charleston’s Women in Tech points out.  

Kids gathered into the back room at the laundromat, ready to learn.

"If you’re a kid living in an area in which college may or may not be on your radar, it’s something that you don’t need to have a college degree for ... it’s like a trade ... if you’re a rockstar in cybersecurity and you’re 16, you’re going to get hired by Microsoft," Finch explains.

The jobs are there. There’s an ever-increasing demand for technologists. And unlike other industries, the only barriers to entry are a computer, internet access, and a desire to learn. No college degree or even high school degree are required.

As accessible as technology can be, there are a lot of kids who don’t see a career in tech as a something that’s within their reach.

One girl tackles coding challenges with her mentor.

"There’s so many kids out there, especially from diverse backgrounds, and women and girls who may never even think they have the ability to go into tech," says Finch. "They’re never even shown that’s a possibility."

And they don’t expect every kid to love coding, but Finch says, "If they don’t like it, that’s fine. But at least they’ll have had the opportunity to try."

A young boy works on his coding skills with a mentor.

The program so far has been a hit. So many kids show up each week that they’ve outgrown the laundromat and are moving into a larger space down the street.

And in addition to gaining valuable career skills, the kids are using this as an opportunity to give back to their community.

A grocery store shut down in the neighborhood, leaving a lot of residents in a tight spot, uncertain about where to get the medications that they need. So the older kids in the program are working on building an app to address the need. The app will be a step-by-step guide to help these residents find the prescriptions they need online through trusted resources.

So focused!

"The goal is to have them work on apps that can help their community too, so that they can actually build something that they can see a tangible effect from," Finch explains. As their app comes to life, the kids are excited, and so is the rest of the community.

CodeOn has helped open the door for these kids and their families.

They’ve given the kids a skill and the knowledge that there’s an avenue out there for them. And they’ve shown them that their hard work can positively impact the people in their own communities. Coding doesn't have to be something that other people do. It's right there, at their own fingertips.

Badges of honor on their journey to mastering code.

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100 homeless people were given cameras. This is what they saw.

What is it like to experience homelessness? What do people see when they're living on the street?

Those are the questions that Jason Williamson, an amateur photographer (who also happens to be a pastor at Anderson Mill Road Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina) found himself asking one day.

Williamson's church spends a lot of time working to combat homelessness in the local community. And after hearing about a recent homelessness photography expo at London's Cafe Art, Williamson realized the idea was just what his community needed to take bigger steps forward.

"[It was] a perfect way to combine photography, a passion I've had for a long time, with outreach in the community," he said.

“This man is homeless. He didn’t want his face in the picture. He was just hangin’ out because that’s what homeless people do. They hang out and wait for food or for a place to open. They wait for something to happen.” — "Hangin' Out" by Ray Kelly. All images used with permission.

Williamson passed out 100 disposable cameras to homeless folks around his city, hoping to "give them a voice where normally they wouldn't have one."

As part of the Through Our Eyes project, ministry volunteers went to shelters, libraries, and soup kitchens to recruit a variety of homeless individuals, ranging in age from 7 to 75. Each person was handed a camera and told to take photos of whatever they wanted — where they hung out, where they stayed, what they ate, who their friends were — and then to return them to a designated shelter five days later.

"I've been doing photography as a hobby for over 18 years, and I knew the satisfaction that I got when I created something. I wanted these people who are on the streets to feel something different, to be inspired and feel that joy," Williamson explained.

As an added incentive, the shelter threw a little party for everyone who came back with a camera on that last day and provided each of them with a meal, a hygiene kit, and a nice new T-shirt with the word "Photographer" emblazoned in big block letters across the back.

“I took it for the simple fact that if he saw his own picture, he’d have to stay out of trouble.” — "Trouble Free" by Donald Edwards.

46 cameras got returned on Day 5, and folks took more than 700 pictures.

Some of the photos were stunning and, yes, some of them weren't so great. But it was the content of the photos that really stood out.

Sure, there were plenty of photos of overpasses, trash, and the burnt-out husks of buildings where groups have gathered for shelter.

“Someone set this place on fire because they got jealous that someone else stayed in there.” — "Hatred" by Ray Kelly.

But more importantly, Williamson and his ministry were overwhelmed by the hope and optimism they saw in some of the pictures.

“He’s my friend and he will talk to anyone and help anyone out. I asked him if he would help me with the project and he wanted to help other people see what’s going on too.” — "Cool Cat" by Donald Edwards.

There were shots of fathers with their daughters...

“She’s my world. She’s everything. And she’s how I got through a dismal situation. She kept me going when I didn’t necessarily think I should.” — "The Light of my Daughter" by David Minch.

...of friends posed together with peace signs and love…

“We had a prayer time out back at the mission one night and I came up with the idea for the photo. We are all family here. I don’t see colors or nationalities; we are all equal. And the love. The love is good.” — "The Love is Good" by Annette Barnett.

...of things that the photographers themselves loved, ranging from the beautiful to the mundane…

“I love that white dress. It reminded me of when my sister got married.” — "Beautiful Dresses" by Bobbie Nesbitt.

...of murals and church signs that inspired them on their daily treks…

“I go to the Journey church every Sunday. I get what I need there. I love Pastor Chris and he really loves the people. The Journey feeds me spiritually and I always feel so good after I leave. Chris always has exactly the message I need to hear each week.” — "Journey" by Leslie Broome.

...and there were even carefully set up still life portraits of meaningful personal possessions.

"I was trying to take pictures of things I see on a daily basis and I really value him. It was a gift. Prayer is a big part of my life. He has a button that says, ‘now I lay me down to sleep,’ when you push it. I know my prayers are being answered. Anything outside of God’s will isn’t going to work anyway.” — "Prayer Bear" by Leslie Broome.

In short, the photos humanized the epidemic of homelessness in a way we don't often see.

“My friend was having a problem and was on the phone, I just happened to catch it. We’re here at the shelter, but it ain’t the end. We’re just going through it. We’ve got a purpose, you just have to go for it and it will come for you.” — "The Struggle" by Allen Johnson.

All 700 of the photographs were then featured in an art show at the Chapman Cultural Center, which also served as a fundraiser for the ministries working to fight homelessness in the area.

Visitors to the exhibit could "vote" on their favorites by putting coins or bills into the "spare change" lockboxes that accompanied each picture. Williamson and a team of judges selected the "Top 20" photographs to sell off at a live auction, with the proceeds split between five different charitable groups for homelessness.

"It gave [these individuals] an opportunity to be a part of the solution [to homelessness], instead of just the problem that other people are trying to fix."

“I knew her from another shelter. I was going to help her get her clothes out and thought I’d take her picture first. I was excited to have a friend here, but I felt bad because she didn’t have a choice but to come to the shelter.” — "Moving In" by Mildred Johnson.

And the photographers whose work fetched the highest bids in the auction? They each received a personalized prize package to help them get back on their feet.

Each package was unique to the winner, providing them with goods and/or services to help them on their own unique journeys.

If nothing else, the other photographers got to enjoy a meal and the brief sense of elation and fame that comes with having people pay attention to something you created. "They told us that, for a moment in time, it made them feel important," Williamson said. "They had a voice and could tell their story in a way they never could before."

“He was sitting under a tree in the shade and I saw the light coming in from behind him. He was in a good posture. The pictures says that you can just relax and be free.” — "Doug" by Rumchanh Park.

While Through Our Eyes didn't bring a sudden end to homelessness in Spartanburg, it did have a powerful impact on the lives of a few fortunate people.

Williamson shared one story of a Through Our Eyes participant who just began working full-time for one of the parishioners at The Mill. This man still lives in a shelter for the time being, but this turn is a positive step forward in his life.

There was also a woman who was so moved by the ministry's embrace of her photography work that she sought out her baptism and became a Christian.

Another boy reconnected with his grandmother Nevada, after she heard about the project on the news. He's still homeless for now, but a local ministry was able to find him and deliver a care package from his grandma.

Of course, even these inspiring stories only account for a fraction of the people in the Through Our Eyes project, and not every story was as successful. But for these individuals, it made a tangible difference.

"Every day, more people are coming into homelessness and out of homelessness than I would have expected," Williamson said. "But I think the cross-section we have here has done a lot to help people in our community understand, and in providing real things."

“This represented the pain and the bad decisions I used to make in the past. This photo means a lot because it reminds me that if I get in a good place, I want to help people. I never cared about if someone saw me laying there, there were no rules. I respect myself a lot more now. There’s help out there, you just have to go to it.” — "Pain" by Allen Johnson.

Through Our Eyes made homelessness visible to the people of Spartanburg in an inspiring new way.

And more importantly, it made those people who live on the street feel like people again, even if it was just for a little while.

As Williamson said, "The cameras that we used were disposable. But the people behind them were not."

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The incredible story of a slave who stole a boat, sailed to freedom, and became a hero.

There's no way his plan should've worked. But it did.

On May 13, 1862, Robert Smalls donned a straw hat, hoisted a Confederate flag over a warship, and piloted himself to freedom.

Yeah, seriously.

At 22, Robert Smalls was working in servitude for the Confederacy. Desperate for deliverance, the young man planned an extraordinary and daring escape, and when an opportunity presented itself, he risked life and limb to free himself and 16 others.

This is the story of Smalls, and 10 reasons he's still the stuff of legends over 150 years later.

A drawing of Robert Smalls. Image via Harper's Weekly/Wikimedia Commons.

1. He planned the escape for more than a year.

Born a slave in Beaufort, South Carolina, Smalls was brought to Charleston at 12 to be rented out for work. There, he met his wife, Hannah, who was a slave for a local family. While the family allowed Robert, Hannah, and their children to live together, the agreement wasn't binding. Robert wanted to purchase his family outright but didn't have the $800 the deal required.

Running was their best option. He was a skilled sailor, so an escape on the water was Smalls' perfect plan. He told his family to wait patiently for just the right moment.

The house in Beaufort, South Carolina, where Smalls was born. Photo via Historic American Buildings Survey/Wikimedia Commons.

2. Just before dawn on May 13, 1862, Smalls took his chance.

Smalls worked on the CSS Planter, a steamer warship. The Planter was docked for the night in the Charleston Harbor. The vessel was set to go back out the next day, so it was filled with supplies and weapons. The ship's captain, Capt. C.J. Relyea, and its white crew members decided to go to shore for the night, leaving Smalls and a few other slaves behind.

This was his window of opportunity.

GIF via "Drunk History"/Comedy Central.

3. But first, he had to make a pit stop.

To avoid suspicion, Smalls put on Relyea's hat and ordered the crew to raise the Confederate flag. The boat made a quick stop at a nearby wharf to pick up his family along with a few other women and children seeking their freedom.

Image via PBS/YouTube.

4. Not everyone could pull off piloting the large vessel, but this wasn't Smalls' first rodeo ... er, boat show.

Smalls had worked on the Planter for years and had the skills of a captain, but his skin color had kept him from earning the title. Instead, he was the boat's wheelman but spent hours each day watching Relyea at work, time that would prove especially useful.

Image via PBS/YouTube.

5. Piloting the ship wasn't the only challenge; Smalls and the crew had to pass four Confederate check points.

Sweating yet?

Wearing Relyea's hat and jacket, Smalls strolled along the ship's deck, mimicking the captain's gait. And from watching in the past, he knew just the signals he'd have to give to pass each fort.


GIF via "Drunk History"/Comedy Central.

6. The fourth checkpoint, Fort Sumter, was the grandaddy of checkpoints. And that grandaddy had guns. Lots and lots of guns.

The other slaves on board told Smalls not to get so close; after all, the sun was coming up. But pivoting, even a little, would surely arouse suspicion. Smalls held fast and gave the signal.

A few seconds later, the Confederate soldiers at the fort signaled back: They were free to pass.

GIF via PBS/YouTube.

7. Though he made it past Fort Sumter, Smalls wasn't out of danger.

After all, he was still in a Confederate ship quickly headed toward Union waters.


GIF via "Ghost."

With help from his wife, Smalls raised a white bed sheet for a flag. Luckily, Union soldiers spotted it in time and boarded the ship.

He saluted and delivered the Planter (and its cache of Confederate weapons) to the Union troops.

Smalls and his 16 passengers were finally free.

8. For his cunning and bravery, Congress passed a bill authorizing the Navy to pay for the CSS Planter and awarded Smalls some much-needed funds.

Smalls received $1,500 for the ship and supplies and was able to start life as a free man and a hero.

Image via PBS/YouTube.

9. Smalls went on to help enlist thousands of black soldiers for the Union.

Thanks to his newfound celebrity, Smalls met with Abraham Lincoln to encourage the president to allow black soldiers to enlist for the Union and recruited 5,000 men for the effort. He also served, piloting the Planter during several intense military actions, and became one of the highest-paid black soldiers of the Civil War era.

One of the many black soldiers who fought for the Union, thanks to Smalls' efforts. Image via Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library/Wikimedia Commons.

10. After the war, he went on to serve in the South Carolina state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

His was a life full of service and fierce loyalty to the country that liberated him. Smalls was also a champion for the civil rights of African-Americans.

"My race needs no special defense for the past history of them and this country," he once said. "It proves them to be equal of any people anywhere. All they need is an equal chance in the battle of life."

Smalls years after his daring escape. Image via Library of Congress.

Smalls did many amazing things in the battle of life.

For his final act, he lived well into his 70s and died in the home where he was born a slave, which he'd purchased from his former owner.

The Robert Smalls House became a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The Robert Smalls House in Beaufort, South Carolina. Photo by Elisa.Rolle/Wikimedia Commons.

Want more? See an animated reenactment of Smalls' daring escape.

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