More than 600,000 animals were euthanized in U.S. shelters in 2024, and the South absorbed the worst of it. Too many pets, too few kennels, and not enough adopters in the places where animals need homes most. Here on the Suncoast, that means local shelters are leaning hard on fosters, volunteers, and anyone willing to open a spare bedroom for a few weeks.
There’s also a health story every woman in our audience should hear. A 2022 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that women with chest pain waited eleven minutes longer than men for emergency care. Those minutes can change everything. If something feels wrong, say “chest pain” clearly and ask for an EKG.
One more thing worth celebrating: only about 1.8% of auto mechanics are women, but roughly 70,000 repair jobs are expected to open by 2034. If you know a young person who likes working with her hands, that’s a solid career path. And in Missouri, a quilting club at Cedarhurst of Tesson Heights meets every Thursday to sew fabric scraps into quilts. Coordinator Glenette Nothum said she simply loved to quilt, and word got out. Now it’s a room full of friends.
Thinking about adopting this week, or know someone who should look into a career in the trades? Tell us in the comments.
