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Animals Hugging Humans: 19 Adorable Animal-Human Embraces (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: 19 Animal-Human Hugs That WIll Melt Your Heart
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Law student & former journalist

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So, hugs are clearly awesome. (Unless you're this little girl, but that's another story). They're the perfect antidote to most of life's suckiness: heartbreak, unemployment, the bully in the playground, etc.

Now, take a warm and wonderful hug and multiply it by the joy-inducing quotient of a big, happy Labrador. What do you get? THE WORLD'S BEST HUG, OBVS. Examples here, here and here.

We've pulled some of our favorite photos of animal-human embraces. Try not to say 'aww' when you look through the gallery below.

Animals Who Just Need A Hug
(01 of19)
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In this Feb. 9, 2012 photo, Meghan Caffery, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialist, hugs Izzy, an agricultural detector beagle whose nose is highly sensitive to food odors, at John F. Kennedy Airport's Terminal 4 in New York.(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
(02 of19)
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A woman hugs her dog during a memorial outside the Aurora Municipal Center July 22, 2012 in Aurora, Colorado.(Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
(03 of19)
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A horse embraces a young girl in a picturesque hug.(Image via Imgur)
(04 of19)
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17-year-old evacuee Shoko Igarashi, hugs her dog who will have to be looked after by friends while she goes into a shelter in Koriyama in Fukushima prefecture, 60km west of Fukushima nuclear power plant on March 23, 2011.(Photo credit GO TAKAYAMA/AFP/Getty Images)
(05 of19)
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"Well i was takin a nice little stroll through the park when i came across a sloth trying to cross the road! When i picked him up he spread his arms out wide to give me a hug! from then on i knew that we would be the best of buddies for ever and ever... all the days of my life!!"- Lucy in Phoenix, Arizona(Shared by The Humane Society of the U.S.)(Image via Flickr)
(06 of19)
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A woman cuddles her rabbit after an obstacle course of the first European rabbit hopping championships, which Lada Sipova-Krecova of Czech Republic won, on October 30, 2011 in Wollerau, Switzerland. (Photo by Harold Cunningham/Getty Images)
(07 of19)
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Douglas, who was rescued by Animal Place, loves getting hugs.(Image via Flickr)
(08 of19)
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A dog puts a paw around his human friend in an adorable embrace. (Image via Flickr)
(09 of19)
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Vincent the cat visits his owner, who broke her hip, in the hospital.(Image via Imgur)
(10 of19)
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Spain's Queen Sofia hugs a 7-month-old panda cub during her visit to Madrid's Zoo on March 29, 2011 in Madrid. (Photo credit JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images)
(11 of19)
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A young girl hugs her new puppy who appears content in the warm embrace.(Image via Imgur)
(12 of19)
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A 26-year-old chimpanzee named Pipo embraces veterinarian Eduardo Sacasa at the National Zoo, about 20 kms south of in Managua, on April 07, 2011.(Photo credit ELMER MARTINEZ/AFP/Getty Images)
(13 of19)
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Moose, a Leonberger, and Dr. Joe embrace during the second annual 'Meet the Breeds' showcase of cats and dogs at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on October 17, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
(14 of19)
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A nurse hugs Pisco, a 13-year-old therapy llama, during his visit to the Hospice of Saint John on September 1, 2009 in Lakewood, Colorado. The llama visits the hospice each month as part of an animal therapy program designed to increase happiness, decrease loneliness and calm terminally ill patients during the last stage of life.(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
(15 of19)
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Eli the British Bulldog gets a cuddle from her owner Sue Leicity on Day one of Crufts, a four day dog competition, at the Birmingham NEC Arena on March 8, 2012 in Birmingham, England.(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
(16 of19)
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A woman hugs one of her monkeys at her house in Havana on October 20, 2010. (Photo credit STR/AFP/Getty Images)
(17 of19)
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Lucky the kangaroo just wants some love.(Image via Flickr)
(18 of19)
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A Romanian woman embraces her dog during an animal rights protest in the front of the Romanian Parliament building in Bucharest on April 11, 2011.(Photo credit DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images)
(19 of19)
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An elephant trainer and two elephants share a group hug at Auckland Zoo in New Zealand.(Image via Flickr)

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