Looking Back On The Most Positive Moments Of 2022: The 30 Most Heartwarming Animal Stories Of The Year

• 01

  Humpback whales were removed from the list of endangered species after major recovery

  
  via Jodie Lowe

  Read more: ABC News 

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• 02

  Steve Irwin’s family had saved over 90K animals, including Australia wildfire victims

  
  via Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

  Read more: ABC News 

• 03

  A pride of lions was airlifted from Ukraine to Colorado...

  
  via The Wild Animal Sanctuary

  A pride of lions was airlifted from Ukraine to Colorado in the "biggest-ever warzone rescue of lions". Seven adult lions and two cubs were transferred to the Wild Animal Sanctuary that is located near Springfield, Colorado, on September 29.

  Read more: Out There Colorado

• 04

  Hawaii became the first state to ban shark fishing, making it illegal to capture, entangle or kill a shark in state marine waters

  
  via World Animal News

  Read more: World Animal News 

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• 05

  A homeless 17-year-old...

  
  via WFLA

  A homeless 17-year-old who was living under a bridge who surrendered a 4-month-old puppy to a Mississippi animal shelter so that it would be taken care of was reunited with his dog. Now, both of them have a place to stay.

  Read more: WFLA

• 06

  The extinct 'fantastic giant tortoise' was found alive on the Galápagos Islands

  
  via Xavier Castro/Galápagos Conservancy

  Read more: EuroNews 

• 07

  A 10-year-old girl survived a blizzard in Russia by hugging a stray dog for 18 hours

  
  via social media/ The Siberian Times

  Read more: DailyMail

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• 08

  A 'gay' dog that was abandoned at a North Carolina shelter got adopted by a same-sex couple

  
  via Steve Nichols

  Read more: NBC News 

• 09

  Spain officially recognized animal sentience within its civil code, clarifying that animals are not “things”

  
  via Animal Legal Defense Fund

  Read more: Animal Legal Defense Fund

• 10

  Dolce & Gabbana announced it would drop use of animal fur starting this year

  
  via Richard Baker / Getty Images file

  Read more: NBC News

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• 11

  After a 70 years of absence, cheetahs to return to Indian jungles

  
  via IANS Photo

  Read more: DECCAN HERALD

• 12

  Flossie, 26, was officially crowned as the world’s oldest living cat by Guinness World Records

  
  via Guinness World Records

  Read more: EuroNews 

• 13

  Rhode Island zoo welcomed the birth of the world's most endangered wolf

  
  via Roger Williams Zoo

  Read more: UPI

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• 14

  Henry Cavill said his dog saved his mental health

  
  via IHeartDogs, Instagram

  Read more: IHeartDogs

• 15

  Dolphin poo is the secret weapon for coral reef survival, said a groundbreaking new study

  
  via EuroNews, Canva

  Read more: EuroNews

• 16

  A Utah horse returned home to its owner after 8 years of running with wild mustangs

  
  via Shane Adams/Lisa Reid

  Read more: Fox9

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• 17

  190-year-old Jonathan became the world's oldest tortoise ever

  
  via Guinness World Records

  Read more: Guinness World Records

• 18

  A woman crawled through 300 feet of feces and bugs to rescue a kitten that was stuck in a sewer

  
  via Lindsey Bembli

  Read more: CWOMAHA

• 19

  Patron, the bomb-sniffing dog, got a medal from Zelenskyy

  
  via Efrem Lukatsky/AP

  Read more: NPR

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• 20

  2 Southwest workers looked after a passenger's pet fish for 4 months after it was banned from her flight

  
  via Southwest Airlines

  Read more: INSIDER

• 21

  A 10-year-old girl was reunited with a beloved cat that was left behind in Ukraine

  
  via MARIA BEZNEHAR

  Read more: CBS News

• 22

  A black cat who is known for its huge eyes and wonky feet to become mayor of Hell, Michigan

  
  via Jinx's owner, Mia

  Read more: MLive

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• 23

  A man found a baby frog in a box of salad, adopted him and gave him snacks and baths

  
  via Twitter, TimesNowNews

  Read more: TimesNowNews

• 24

  An emerald green hummingbird that was feared to be extinct had been spotted in Colombia

  
  via Yurgen Vega/SELVA/ProCAT

  Read more: NewScientist

• 25

  Monarch butterfly populations are thriving in North America

  
  via ScienceBlog

  Read more: ScienceBlog

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• 26

  River otters, who were largely eradicated from the area due to overhunting, returned to the Detroit River for the first time since the early 1900’s

  
  via Shutterstock, MetroTimes

  Read more: MetroTimes

• 27

  The first sea turtle nest was found on a Mississippi beach since 2018

  
  via THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  Read more: U.S.News

• 28

  The parrot species...

  
  via DPA/AFP/Getty Images

  The parrot species, the Spix macaw, from 2011's Rio was extinct in the wild. The success of the films raised enough awareness to lead to a reintroduction campaign which had a flying start and has released more birds later this year

  Read more: The Guardian

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• 29

  Laredo, TX Animal Control Officer...

  
  via Laredo Animal Care Services

  Laredo, a TX animal control officer was recognized for saving 45 cats from a fire. When fire crews arrived, Aranda had helped all the cats get outside the building. Then, they began extinguishing the fire with no loss of life.

  Read more: Cole&Marmalade 

• 30

  After 3 months and 150 miles lost in the Alaskan winter, Leon the sled dog was found safe in McGrath—Now reunited with pack

  
  via Rebecca Clark/Regal Air via AP

  Read more: ADN

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