We all know that dogs are certifiably The Best. There’s a reason that dog Instagram accounts, Facebook groups and rating services on Twitter are the most popular by far, and the reason is that dogs are God’s most perfect and purest angels and we are all astonishingly lucky to share a planet with them.

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In light of this, pet-sitting company Mad Paws decided to undertake the mammoth (and, you’d imagine, nigh-impossible) task of choosing their very first Australia’s Dog Of The Year.

It can’t have been easy, but out of 1,514 beautiful pooches, they’ve picked seven state and territory winners and one national champion. And I will warn you now: the national winner of Australia’s Dog Of The Year is such a good boy, you may want to have your tissues at the ready.

Meet Jack, the Golden Retriever / Labrador cross. He’s taken out Mad Paws’ inaugural Top Dog in Aus Award for nothing less than rescuing his owners from a fire.

FROM A FIRE.

Apparently, his human mum and dad were asleep in their home in Canberra when a water leak caused a light fitting outside the back door to catch on fire, setting the roof ablaze. Jack was outside, and started barking and crying to try to alert his family.

Laura, Jack’s mum, told us:

Scott [Jack’s dad] woke up to barking and unusual noises from Jack, and as he approached the back door he thought the light was flashing / blinking. When he looked up he realised the roof where the light is was in flames.

The blaze was intense enough to dislodge the light fitting and melt a plastic chair underneath it, and had spread from the back door across the roof. Fortunately Scott was quick on his feet, turning the light switch off so he and Laura could get water onto the electrical fire without making things worse. Everyone emerged shaken up but unscathed, all thanks to Jack’s determination to save Laura and Scott.

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“We are absolutely thrilled that Jack has been named Australia’s Dog of the Year through Mad Paws’ awards,” Laura said. “Without Jack my partner and I may not be here today following the fire. Jack is thrilled to receive his medal and the accolade, we’d be lost without him.”

I’M NOT CRYING. YOU’RE CRYING.