These Stunning Photos of Dogs Prove That Pups Are Humans' Best Friend

Bringing a new dog into your household usually coincides with new owners getting way more acquainted with their cameras. And thankfully, The Kennel Club — a UK-based organization that's devoted to canine healthcare, training, and welfare — ran its Dog Photographer of the Year contest for the 13th year straight, and the results are nothing short of incredible.

Out of 10,000 entries from over 70 countries, Monica van der Maden, a woman from the Netherlands, won first place overall as well as the top spot in the Oldies category with a stunning photo of her Great Dane Noa looking pensive in a forest (above).

"I am very grateful to be the overall winner of the Dog Photographer of the Year competition," said Monica in a press release. "Photography is what I love doing the most. I always try to capture the image of a dog in a way that you can see the emotion in their eyes, when I took this picture in the forest early one morning, Noa looked at her owner and you could feel the love between them."

Although Monica took home the grand prize, there were nine other smaller categories that have equally adorable winners, including: dogs at play, dogs at work, portrait, and of course, a puppy option.

Read through to see the winners from the other categories, and do everything in your power not to run out and adopt a new pooch of your own.