Berkeleyside reports many animal stories every year, and 2015 was no exception. Sometimes they are strange, such as the day in January when two boars’ heads popped up around town, or the night in June when a squirrel caused a massive power outage. Sometimes they are sad, like the time a couple hung up the body of a deer to make a point about off-leash dogs.

But, more often than not, they are heart-lifting and beautiful. This applies to all the wonderful stories created for us by wildlife photographer Elaine Miller Bond. In 2015, Miller Bond told us about the release of a golden eagle, a hummingbirds’ nest, jumping fish, and glorious clusters of monarch butterflies (a post that was shared more than 21,000 times on Facebook).

And the three-part tale, plus epilogue, by Leslie Smith, about the rescue of a neglected dog, dubbed the “barber’s dog,” was surely one of the most captivating stories of the year.

Below, we bring you 10 of our most widely read 2015 animal-related stories, presented in chronological order.

Related:

Berkeleyside wishes you a happy, safe 2016 (12.31.15)

2015: The year in Berkeley crime, public safety (12.31.15)

The biggest Berkeley stories of 2015 (12.30.15)

Help us to keep bringing you the Berkeley news in 2016 (12.24.15)

Best East Bay dishes and drinks 2015: Part 2 (12.23.15)

Best East Bay dishes and drinks 2015: Part 1 (12.22.15)

Big Screen Berkeley: Favorite films of 2015 (12.22.15)

Best books of 2015, picked by Berkeleyside editors, guests (12.17.15)

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