International Dog Day is observed on August 26 across the world. A celebration of our furry friends, the day encourages adoption of all breeds and aims to raise awareness about the myriad issues faced by them. Even though dogs can be found everywhere, from streets to social media, depictions in popular media have known to help the cause of adoption along. Many feature films and books--for adults and children both--have featured dogs as key characters. If you’re a canine-loving human who can’t keep themselves from petting cheery doggos on the street, we have rounded up a list of heart-warming tales which feature dogs as central characters.

Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan