The most-loved animal stories of 2022

These are the top 10, according to readers.

View this email online Jan. 1, 2023 We've collected the animal stories you, our readers, loved best in 2022. Here you'll find tales of humans rescuing animals (and one rescuing her human), fur babies snuggling into strangers' hearts (and beds) and creatures just generally making the world a better place. The year's top 10 animal stories Kyana Sue Powers 10. Throwing thousands of baby puffins off a cliff is a yearly tradition for the people of Iceland's Westman Islands. It's part of what's known as "puffling season" and is a crucial life-saving endeavor. 9. Winston, a cream-colored French bulldog, claimed top honors at this year's National Dog Show. He has a razzle dazzle," explained the judge. 8. A dog nearly gave her life to save her owner from a rare mountain lion attack on a hiking trail in remote Northern California. The dog, Eva, later succumbed to her injuries. 7. A lost dog broke into Julie and Jimmy Johnson's Tennessee house and snuggled her way into their bed. She was only discovered when Jimmy woke and said, in a quiet but stern voice, "Julie, whose dog is this?" Newsletter continues after sponsor message Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for NPR 6. Animal rescue groups across the U.S. joined forces to rescue 4,000 beagles from a research facility in Virginia. They had been bred for pharmaceutical research and were found in horrendous conditions.  ➡️🐶 Here's how a few began their journey to their forever homes. 5. Eclipse, the Seattle dog known for riding a city bus by herself, died in October. Eclipse began hopping on the bus to the dog park in 2015, finding her stop by looking out the window. Drivers, fellow passengers and admirers grew to love her. 4. A caving excursion in Missouri turned into a rescue mission after a dog was found curled up and malnourished about 500 feet into the cave system. The dog, Abby, had been missing for nearly two months. 3. Robert Brantley was driving down the backroads of northeast Louisiana when he thought he saw a kitten. He stopped and scooped the mewling fur baby off the road — only to see 12 more pop out of the grass. "We got a kitten problem," said the Brantley, who managed to rescue all 13 and capture it on video. 2. Researchers tagging tiger sharks off the southern coast of Belize couldn't believe their eyes when they reeled in a different kind of fish — a Greenland shark, which is typically found in the Arctic and can live to be over 500 years old. Jessica Gerson-Neeves No. 1: Three cats outmaneuvered their two humans to hold a blender hostage for weeks. Jessica and Nikii Gerson-Neeves didn't want to end the standoff that brought joy on social media, but they also wanted to use their blender, which was in a box in their kitchen for a month. The impasse lasted 46 days before the humans reclaimed their appliance. State Emergency Service of Ukraine Honorable mention: The list would not be complete without a spot for Patron, the bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier who has become a Ukrainian hero. Patron earned a medal from President Zelenskyy for detecting Russian bombs in the northern city of Chernihiv (in addition to warming laps, nipping sleeves and generally being a good boy). You can follow his adventures, both professional and personal, on Instagram. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy