Sometimes our furry friends need a little help getting out of tight spots.
Here are 10 ways humans stepped up to save animals in 2017:
#10
A dog got loose from a car after a bad crash on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive in June.
It started running back and forth along the shore of Lake Michigan and eventually fell in when trying to get a drink.
Rookie Chicago Police Officer Juan Farris wasted no time plucking the stranded pup from the water.
#9
A distressed sea turtle became tangled in a fishing line off the coast of Venice, Fla. in December.
Footage was shared showing a man swimming alongside the sea turtle while trying to cut the fishing line with wire cutters.
#8
Alberta man Duncan MacIver didn’t hesitate to plunge into freezing cold water in April to save his dog.
Cosmo plunged through the thin ice at a park. The two emerged drenched and cold, but okay.
#7
Oregon firefighters were called out to a golf course in Sunriver in December to save a deer stuck on a frozen water hazard.
Footage showed the frightened animal struggling for footing as one of the firefighters approached with a bright red rescue sled.
#6
Tens of thousands of dogs and cats were left stranded in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma in September and Hurricane Maria in October.
Family pets became victims of the ensuing humanitarian crisis on the devastated island.
Many have since been rescued and taken to other U.S. cities and Canada to be put up for adoption.
#5
Hurricane Harvey left many animals stranded in parts of Texas in August.
In Cleveland, Tx., rescuers helped free horses trapped in paddocks. While in Hankamer, Tx., sheriff's deputies rescued dozens of dogs from a flooded shelter. Some of those dogs even ended up in Ontario to be adopted.
#4
A group of Asian elephants were saved from a flooded Vietnam War-era bomb crater by Cambodian farmers, conservationists and government officials in March.
The elephants reportedly became trapped after trying to drink water from the hole.
A ramp was built to help the animals climb out, while farmers assisted using ropes and vegetation.
#3
Rescuers used zip lines to save people and animals stranded by deadly flood water in Lima in March.
It was the worst flooding to hit Peru in decades, with torrential rains sweeping away homes, bridges and crops.
#2
A driver fleeing wildfires in California in December turned around and ran back toward the flames.
He stopped to rescue a terrified rabbit, which was then taken to the California Wildlife Center. It was treated for burns to its paws, ears and chin.
The fire became the fifth largest in California's history.
#1
In a desperate race against time in January, Alberta residents rallied to rescue a horse that had fallen through the ice.
Rescuers spent more than three hours pulling the nearly 700-kilogram Clydesdale from the frigid waters of Lloyd Creek in Rimbey, Alta., about 62 kilometres northwest of Red Deer.
The animal was reunited with its owners, checked out by a veterinarian, and was expected to make a full recovery.
