The past year was defined by tail-wagging moments, heart-stopping encounters and tearful reunions with pets and wildlife in the Southland. From run-ins with wild animals to endearing pet moments, here's a look back at some of the biggest animal stories of 2024.
Decoy Ohtani throws the first pitch
It was the pitch that captured the hearts of Major League Baseball fans.
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Superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani and his very good boy Decoy were the dream team behind an aww-inducing first pitch on Aug. 28. Just before the Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Baltimore Orioles, Ohtani and Decoy took to the mound.
Donning his own Dodger jersey, Decoy “threw” the first pitch by fetching and delivering the baseball to No. 17, who was waiting for him at home plate.
Homeowner reunited with his cat as fire engulfs his Tarzana home
Heartwrenching video of a man's tearful reunion with his beloved cat was captured after firefighters rescued the feline from a home fire in Tarzana on July 25.
Distraught, Isaac Vaizman begged firefighters to find his 14-year-old cat, Cheetah, as they battled the flames that ripped through his home. Thankfully, first responders were able to find the elder cat and hand her over to Vaizman, who wailed with relief and fell to his knees as he embraced his pet.
Video: Dog dumped in Long Beach street chases after owner's car
A video of a dog desperately chasing after its owner after it was dumped on a Long Beach road broke hearts on social media.
A food delivery driver recorded the video after she saw someone in a Lexus push the pooch out of the car. After the car took off, the dog ran after it, making several attempts to jump back in.
Eventually, the video was widely shared on social media and a group of people were able to locate the dog.
Bear enjoys cupcake-shaped float in Monrovia home's pool
Bears aren't an unusual sight in Monrovia, but one relaxed bear garnered hundreds of thousands of views online when she was seen gracefully using a pool float to glide across a pool.
Monrovia homeowners Ricardo Martinez and Brian Gordon said they've seen bears pop their pool floats before, but never seen one successfully use the devices -- until June 27.
“It was like a scorcher (that day) so I do not blame that poor bear for getting in the pool,” Gordon said. “It was hot!”
Utah couple accidentally ships pet cat to Riverside-based Amazon facility
A Utah couple that accidentally shipped their pet cat to an Amazon facility in Riverside was grateful she was found by an employee.
Matt and Carrie Stevens Clark were returning a pair of shoes to Amazon when their cat, Galena, sneakily made herself comfortable in the box and was inadvertently shipped.
“We had no idea, so Matt took her to the package drop-off without knowing that our dear cat was inside,” Carrie said.
The couple then got a shocking phone call confirming their cat was about 650 miles away in Southern California.
Comedian Brittany Furlan, wife of rocker Tommy Lee, saves dog from coyote
A run-in with a coyote left comedian and actress Brittany Furlan Lee, wife of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, sharing her experience as a warning to others.
Furlan Lee was supervising her two small dogs in the comfort of her own backyard when a coyote suddenly snatched her 10-year-old dachshund, Neena. Home surveillance footage showed the frightening encounter as the dog owner frantically yelled and chased after the coyote with her pooch in its mouth.
“She’s a heavier dachshund so he jumped over the wall and her legs were hanging and I jumped up the wall and grabbed her legs from out of his mouth,” she said.
Neena's plump build helped save her own life since the coyote was unable to carry her over Furlan Lee's backyard.
Honorable mention — Four people stage fake bear attacks with costume in Lake Arrowhead
Although no animals were involved in this incident, it was still a wild occurrence centered around a bear costume, phony clawmarks and resulted in several arrests.
Four people requested an insurance payout for their car, a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, after claiming a bear had entered the car and caused interior damage to the vehicle in Lake Arrowhead.
To prove that it was actually not a bear damaging the three cars in the video, a biologist from the Department of Fish and Wildlife was brought in to review the footage.
