6 Dorset animal stories which melted our hearts in 2022 – Dorset Live

From the tragic to the heart-warming, we had it all
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From tales of love and sacrifice, to awe-inspiring videos, 2022 has certainly been a year of natural phenomena in Dorset. We have a sea teeming with life, countryside full of wonders, and plenty of animal lovers.
And, here at DorsetLive, we've managed to capture just a snippet of these heart-warming stories of companionship and nature. Here's a selection of the year's animal stories which are sure to melt, or break, your heart.
This one's a heartwarming tale of love between a woman and her chihuahua. 54-year-old Jac Williams sold her Nissan Qashqiau for £15,000 when she found out dog Louie was diagnosed with mitral valve disease.
The condition, which 10-year-old Loui was diagnosed with in 2020, can be fatal without surgical intervention. Jac sold her car and even dipped into her pension to pay for the surgery.
Read the full story here.
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Otters, which faced extinction after a population decimation in the 1950s, have recently been repopulating and flourishing in Dorset. Despite their growing population, however, it's not common to get as good as a look at the beautiful river dwellers as Gillingham man Kevin Curtis did.
Kevin, in October, told DorsetLive that rain raised the river level to match a Stour tributary which runs through his garden. This, in turn, meant he got a visit from a family of otters.
Read the full story here.
Another species being seen more and more off the coast of Dorset, dolphins were seen in large numbers near Christchurch in June. NCI Hengistbury Head's team took some fantastic pictures of dolphins approaching the shoreline near Mudeford.
Several locals also reported seeing them in the area, with multiple sightings in just a few days – all claiming the dolphins were within eyeshot of the shore.
Read the full story here.
Coral Jones, 22, from Poole, has lived with costrochondritis since she was 14. The condition renders her bedridden and with very little mobility.
Her pet cat, Misty, was a huge help for Coral. The 22-year-old said her cat was a lifeline for her. Misty was crowned the most caring cat at the 2022 Cat of the Year awards.
Read the full story here.
Upper Parkstone resident Bea Skinner has made a new friend over the last year or so. After first feeding 'Mrs Fox' in Spring of 2021, the wild four legged friend has been a regular visitor to her home ever since.
Most recently, Bea shared a few scraps of Christmas turkey with Mrs Fox, who then stuck around hoping for more. The fox won the hearts of many, with adorable pictures showing Bea and her grandchildren hand-feeding her.
Read the full story here.
The crew of Weymouth RNLI's Atlantic 85 were awestruck when a pod of dolphins swam up alongside them in September. The crew were on their way back to harbour when they were assailed by the friendly creatures.
A video taken by a crewmember showed one of the dolphins leaping and frolicking, seemingly unbothered by the boat.
Read the full story here.
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