Amid a year of tremendous loss due to wildfires, Los Angeles’ thunderous applause at another World Series win and unrest over political decisions from the White House that affected Southern California, there were moments involving local wildlife and pets that offered pause from the eventful year.
From heartwarming experiences with pets to hopeful stories involving wildlife, the Southland was marked by touching moments with the fluffy, feathery and wild kind.
As 2025 comes to a close, here’s a look back at some of the year’s most notable animal moments.
Tearful reunion for man, dog separated by Palisades Fire
The year began with heartbreak for the hundreds of families affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fire. As many households grieved the loss of lives and their properties, pet owners were separated from their beloved animals.
Casey Colvin, who lived in Pacific Palisades earlier this year, said he was worried sick when his dog, Oreo, ran away during evacuation orders. Because Colvin was at work when the fire broke out, and since it took him five hours to get to his neighborhood due to heavy traffic, he was unable to reach Oreo, who ran away after getting spooked by the chaos.
Nearly a week after the blaze broke out and destroyed his home, Colvin was able to reunite with his animal companion after Oreo was found by a dog tracker. The emotional and tearful reunion was captured on video.
Eaglemania: Big Bear eagles hatch three eggs, one chick dies after storm
The springtime was met with Eaglemania across Southern California after educational nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley announced that famed eagles, Jackie and Shadow, successfully hatched three chicks.
All eyes were on Jackie and Shadow as the nonprofit livestreamed the birds’ famous nest. In previous years, the eagles experienced heartbreak in the form of unhatched eggs, so Internet dwellers rejoiced when the feathery couple’s three eggs all hatched.
The celebrations paused after a spring storm that delivered two feet of snow to the mountain community turned to concern. One of the eaglets appeared to be missing from the nest, prompting the eagle family’s fans to wonder what happened.
Sadly, one of the eaglets died, the nonprofit announced following speculation.
“We are just observers and cannot predict what will happen next. We are reminded again that nature is wild and unscripted,” the organization said in a statement at the time. “It also has the power to unite our hearts. We are thinking about our Jackie and Shadow and our eagle family at this time.”
Sickened sea lions, dolphins leave marine center in ‘crisis mode’
The Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) in San Pedro sounded the alarm earlier this year after an increase in toxic algal bloom resulted in ill sea lions and dolphins.
Marine animals that were sickened by the bloom washed ashore from Malibu to Long Beach coasts. The algae, which can build up in sardines, anchovies and shellfish, can cause lethargy, seizures and aggressive behavior in animals who are exposed to the domoic acid toxin.
During the springtime, the MMCC took care of more than 60 animals that were ailed by the algae.
Burbank K-9 mourned after on-job death
The city of Burbank mourned the loss of a K-9 that was fatally shot on the job during a standoff in November.
Spike, who was with the Burbank Police Department for two years, died at the age of 4 when he was shot by a man who was trying to run from officers during a traffic stop off the 5 Freeway. The gunman, who was identified as Jose Domingo Ayala Alas, was shot and killed by officers.
The pooch was honored with a procession that was attended by the department, community members and their pets.
YouTuber rescues dog who remained at owner’s side after hit-and-run
A dog whose owner was killed by a hit-and-run driver was rescued by a content creator after the pooch struggled to leave its owner’s side.
Toward the end of the summer, an Akita and his owner were out and about in Watts when a driver struck the dog’s owner, who was on a bicycle at the time. The owner died at the scene and the pooch stayed nearby.
“He kind of just paced around the canopy where they had his owner’s body,” said Alex Choi, who is known for the content he creates on car. “Just started howling and whining, it was really sad.”
Choi ended up taking the dog with him and searched for a permanent home for the pooch.
Elderly man reunites with beloved dog after she goes missing
A 93-year-old West Hills man was reunited with his dog, Sunny, after she went missing for about two weeks.
Norm, who travels on motorized scooter, desperately combed through his San Fernando Valley neighborhood in hopes of finding his furry best friend. During his search, he reached out to nonprofit Dog Days Search & Rescue for help.
After weeks of nonstop worry, Sunny and Norm were finally reunited in a heartfelt reunion that was exclusively captured by NBC4.
Bear claims Altadena home’s crawlspace as its own
An Altadena homeowner dealt with a 500-pound fuzzy squatter who overtook his home’s crawlspace.
Ken Johnson noticed things in his property were being moved around, prompting him to set up a camera to investigate the cause. Eventually, he noticed his crawlspace’s screen was ripped open and that his camera captured a bear roaming through his neighborhood.
“When I saw it all torn up, I thought, ‘He must not be under there,’ because there is no way a bear could fit,” Johnson said.
However, the bear did, indeed, fit and decided the crawlspace would be its new home. Since November, Johnson has been living with the bear situated beneath his home. He’s been in touch with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to trap the bear and release it somewhere safe, but they have been unable to capture the animal.
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