12 Animals That Stole Our Hearts In 2018

There's one thing from this year that has been reliably, steadfastly good: funny and heart-warming stories about our furry animals. Here are the best ones. Via:Best Life

1
The dog who was saved by a group of bicyclists

When Columbo was only five months old, a group of bicyclists found the dog by the side of a bike path in Columbus, Georgia, with multiple broken bones. In a move that ultimately saved the dog, one of the bicyclists, Jarrett Little, actually carried Columbo for seven miles on his back to get to the nearest town. Immediately after they made it into town, the bikers bumped into Andrea Shaw—and for Columbo, it was love at first sight. After immediately taking Columbo to the nearest veterinarian, Shaw decided to adopt Columbo. Months later, Columbo is living a happy and healthy life in Maine with Shaw and her husband.

Via Best Life
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2
The smooth-talking cat who kicked a Roomba aside.

Earlier this year, a Roomba attempted to interrupt this important feline conversation—but this cat would stop at nothing to continue the discussion. In a completely suave and hilarious move, the cat expertly kicked the oncoming Roomba away in the nick of time—and the internet loved every second of it.

Via Desiree
3
The drunk birds who terrorized a small town

In 2018, residents in the small town of Gilbert, Minnesota, began noticing that the local birds were falling out of trees and slamming into windows at an alarming rate. In a lighthearted Facebook post sent out to the citizens of Gilbert, police chief Ty Techar informed them that there was no need to inform the authorities—these seemingly drunk birds were merely munching on fermented berries!

Via Best Life
4
The dog who tricked McDonald’s customers

Princess, according to her owner, Betsy Reyes, has become a skilled con artist. In a Facebook post that quickly went viral, the owner admitted that her dog had gotten into the habit of sneaking out at night to beg for food at the local McDonald's by her home in Oklahoma City. On a regular basis, it seems, Princess will pretend to be a stray dog to pick up treats from kind strangers outside of the establishment. Finally, a dog who is smart enough to realize and utilize their charms for an extra cheeseburger (or three).

Via Best Life
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5
The dog who found his owner after a wildfire

After the Camp Fire in California decimated his home while his family was away, Madison waited and kept guard of his old home until his owners could finally return. For weeks, animal rescue organization K9 Paw Print Rescue attempted to help Madison—but the dog seemed persistent in his effort to guard his home until his owners returned. Finally, after a month of waiting, Madison was reunited with his emotional family—who still remain in awe of all that Madison had to go through to see his owners again.

Via Best Life
6
The rescue dog who found a new home at a firehouse.

Smokey the dog had spent the better portion of his life at an Arizona animal control facility when fate intervened to save the animal from being put down. After being transported to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, caregivers quickly noticed Smokey's kindness and intelligence—and thought that he could greatly contribute to those public workers suffering from anxiety and depression. Eventually, Smokey was sent to help firefighters at the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department, where many recruits were suffering from anxiety and depression on the job. Just this year, the story of Smokey has made headlines as members of the unit in Toledo, Ohio, shared stories about how much the dog has improved morale and changed their lives for the better.

Via Best Life
7
The French bulldog who threw a tantrum

In a Facebook post that garnered millions of likes in just a few weeks, viewers meet Walter Geoffrey the Frenchie—a pup who wants to go to the park more than anything. Unfortunately for the Frenchie, the park turned out to be closed—and the resulting tantrum upon Geoffrey's discovery of this fact has nearly broken the internet. For at least five minutes, Geoffrey's owner attempts to explain this fact to the Frenchie who is combative, to say the least. Here's hoping that the Geoffrey found another park to enjoy.

Via Walter Geoffrey the Frenchie
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8
The tortoise who skates like Tony Hawk.

In a decidedly expert and adorable maneuver, a tiny tortoise, with the encouragement of its owner, decided to climb aboard a finger-skateboard and prove this his species isn't as slow as previously believed—and the internet was never the same again.

Via Best Life
9
The twin baby red pandas who brought hope to an endangered species

With fewer than 10,000 existing red pandas on the planet, the arrival of twin baby pandas was an incredibly joyous occasion at Syracuse's Rosamond Gifford Zoo back in June. Loofah and Doofah, named after characters from The Land Before Time, have quickly brought the zoo a lot of attention with their constant cuddle sessions with the zookeepers and playful antics that have almost single-handedly given their species hope for a brighter future.

Via Best Life
10
The owl who loved his spray bottle bath

After his owner posted a video of his squirt bottle bath online, Curbie the owl gained notoriety for possibly being the cutest pet owl on the internet. Throughout the bath, he even lets out a few "hoo hoo"s that make it impossible for viewers to not be completely awestruck by the owl's trust and love in his owner.

Via Poke my heart
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11
The orphaned bear who loves to snuggle.

In a Reddit post that quickly went viral earlier this year, Jimbo the orphaned bear is pictured snuggling with his owner, Jim Kowalczik. For the past several years, visitors at The Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, New York, have had the opportunity to interact (and yes, even cuddle!) with Jimbo, who was abandoned in the wild. Unfortunately, Jimbo passed away earlier this year, just after this post went viral.

Via Best Life
12
The baby zebra who was saved by zookeepers.

Just moments after a baby zebra was born in the Valencia Bioparc in Spain, it stumbled to its feet and into a nearby watering hole. In a truly dramatic video, viewers witness the zookeepers quickly take action to lift the foal from the water and on to the solid ground where the mother licked and revived the newborn as the passersby applauded and cheered loudly. Months later, the foal is healthy and happy.

Via Metro