The Shortlist for Jan. 10

While driving home to Tennessee after a visit with her parents in Oklahoma over the holidays, Carrie Underwood saw two injured dogs on the highway median. As she later recounted on her blog, she pulled over to see if the dogs were OK. Despite being bloody and limping, one of them wagged her tail when she saw Carrie. Realizing the other had already gone to doggie heaven, Carrie scooped up the tail-wagger and took her to the ER. She had her cleaned up, named her Stella and took her home to housetrain her while looking for a permanent parent for the little Lab. Eventually, Carrie's neighbors adopted the pooch. "I cried when she walked out the door," she blogged. "[My husband] told me not to be a crazy ex-girlfriend about it and stalk them ... I can't help it! She deserves the best life ever!" (People)