Firefighters do not just fight fires. These brave heroes are some of the selfless people in the world. In the past 30 years, over four thousand firefighters have died on the job. Every day, these brave heroes risk their lives for the safety of no only a human being, but an animal as well.

This post is a tribute for all the brave women and men who serve communities with courage and uncompromising devotion to humanity. These people are not just doing their job, they are the heroes who take each task to heart and each life saved is a victory for them.

The photos below capture some of the amazing rescues firefighters have made for the life of an animal. Some of them brought me to tears.

This woman is grateful that this firefighter saved her feline friend.

This dog is thankful for his hero. Here he is licking the ashes off his rescuer’s face.

A firefighter provides oxygen to a dog after he was rescued from a burning house.

A firefighter carries a cat out of an inferno. She’s clearly thankful for the fireman’s help!

A blind dog named Inge fell off a ferry dock and into a freezing cold Lake Ontario. This firefighter plunged into the icy water and pulled the dog to safety.

Firefighter quenches a koala’s thirst as a brushfire spreads across Australia.

Brett Cunniff, a Missoula fireman, saves a kitten from a house fire. He gives it some much-needed oxygen.

One owner was terrified when she realized her dog was trapped in her burning home. Luckily, firefighter Ben Lawson was on hand, and he rescued the animal.

When the Austin Fire Department heard that a deer was caught in a storm drainpipe, they rushed over and rescued the deer. They then brought her to Wildlife Rescue.

A group of ducklings were trapped in a drainpipe. Firefighter Cody Knecht jumped into action and played his cell phone ringtone to lure the ducks out to safety.

British firefighters work hard to free a horse that had fallen into a bog.

Firefighter rescues a dog from the second story of a home. Afterwards, he helps hydrate the dog.

Washington firefighters provided oxygen to hamsters who were rescued from a burning home.

Lawrence firefighters used a rescue boat to save a dog that was stuck in an icy pond.

These firemen were working on a drill when they suddenly heard cries coming from an old car. Inside, they found four motherless kittens. They then nursed these kittens back to health and helped them find new homes.

A 7-year-old Lab was pulled from a house fire after firefighters found her trapped. They performed mouth-to-mouth to help the dog breathe. It saved his life!

After a firefighter rescued this kitten from a raging inferno. Her reaction says it all

Please SHARE these photos to thank our firefighters for the amazing work they do for us on a daily basis!