Jan. 5, 2016: We’ve scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it’s all right here.

Tucker was thankful to firefighters in Herriman, Utah, for saving him from an icy pond.

Firefighters Save Dog From Pond

While out for an afternoon walk with his owner Monday in Herriman, Utah, a large dog spotted some ducks on a manmade pond. Tucker chased after them, but quickly fell through the ice and couldn’t get out of the frigid water. Thankfully, an ice and water rescue team based in Herriman responded, and got the dog out of the pond within 15 minutes of getting the owner’s call for help. The rescue was caught on video and shared by the fire department on Twitter. "A person certainly wouldn’t last 15 minutes in that water," said Unified Fire Authority Battalion Chief Brian Anderton. He cautioned pet owners to be careful around bodies of water at this time of year. The department later Tweeted a photo of Tucker, safe and sound at home, wearing a sign thanking firefighters for coming to his rescue. — Watch it at the Salt Lake Tribune and find out how to keep your dog safe around ice

FBI Starts Tracking Animal Cruelty Cases

With the start of the new year, the FBI has begun collecting data on animal cruelty cases reported by local jurisdictions across the U.S. Information about the cases and the perpetrators will be logged in the National Incident-Based Reporting System. The hope is that the data will help track where animal cruelty is happening and identify any patterns associated with the crime. That could lead to more grants and more dedicated resources to combat the problem. An FBI official interviewed by Charleston, South Carolina’s Post and Courier said that some animal cruelty, such as dog fighting and cockfighting, is often closely connected with gang and drug investigations. — Read it at the Charleston Post and Courier

Study: Marmosets Perceive Pitch Like Humans

New behavioral evidence from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine shows marmosets can distinguish between high and low notes in the same way humans do. “Until now, we didn’t think any animal species, including monkeys, perceived it the way we do. Now we know that marmosets, and likely other primate ancestors, do,” said lead researcher Xiaoqin Wang. In their testing, the small monkeys were trained to lick a waterspout only after hearing a change in pitch. They found the monkeys could distinguish even subtle shifts in pitch at low frequencies. The sound quality of pitch is key to music and vocalization, and the research could call into question when pitch perception evolved. The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. — Read it at Discovery News

Rescuers from the Humane Society of Missouri saved a cat who was floating in a litterbox.

Cat Stays Afloat on Litterbox

A smart cat in Missouri survived the historic and devastating floods there by sitting in her plastic litterbox. While making rounds to find pets stranded in flooded homes, rescuers from the Humane Society of Missouri found the kitty in high water in her home. They broke a window and gently pulled her toward them in her makeshift boat. They removed the meowing cat and placed her in a carrier to bring her to safety. They’re taking care of her and working on locating her family. Parts of Missouri and Illinois are bracing for new flooding as families return to assess the damage in their homes, reported the AP via Fox News. Flooding in the two states has been blamed for 25 deaths. — Watch it at People Pets

Kaley Cuoco Mourns Her Dog

“Big Bang Theory” actress Kaley Cuoco, 30, shared a sweet tribute to her late dog Petey on Instagram over the New Year’s weekend. She said the dog was a gift from her best friend when she was 16 years old, and that she was so relieved when her parents said she could keep him. They actually became so attached to Petey that they kept him when she moved out at age 17. She later named her corporation after him, Peteypie Inc. “Here we are 15 years later,” she wrote, while sharing a series of photos. “My folks gave him the greatest life and he taught us what it meant to love an adoption pup … he has brought a lifetime of joy and laughs to our entire family. I know he will now enjoy doggie heaven where there will be an abundance of greenies just for him. This little guy, I will never ever forget …" Cuoco, who’s become big advocate of animal adoption, has two other dogs at home, Ruby and Norman. — Read it at CBS News