It's International Dog Day, a chance to celebrate all that we love about our furry family members.

Held on August 26 each year, International Dog Day was founded in 2004 by animal welfare advocate and pet lifestyle expert, Colleen Paige.

Starting as a national day, the movement has gone international!

International Dog Day celebrates all breeds, mixed and pure, and serves to help galvanise the public to recognise the number of dogs who need to be rescued each year.

It also honours working dogs who save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.

Dogs put their lives on the line every day - protecting their law enforcement partner, their blind companion, the disabled, and our safety by detecting bombs and drugs and helping to locate and rescue victims of accidents.

For many of us though, our fur babies simply bring joy to our lives on a daily basis.

Enjoy our gallery above of some of our top pics from our reader submissions.

See many more adorable photos on our Facebook page here.