Four canines were given the top-dog treatment today on Capitol Hill as they received the nation’s highest honor for their service and sacrifice to the U.S.

Matty, a Czech German Shepherd; Fieldy, a black Labrador retriever; Bond, a Belgian Malinois; and Isky, a German Shepherd, were awarded the inaugural American Humane Lois Pope LIFE K-9 Medal of Courage. The awards were created under the American Humane Association.

“Soldiers have been relying on these four-footed comrades-in-arms since the beginning of organized warfare and today military dogs are more important than ever in keeping our service men and women safe,” said Robin Ganzert, the American Humane Association’s president and CEO.

The group said that all four heroic hounds had been to Afghanistan.

Matty helped find hidden improvised explosive devices and is credited with saving the life of his handler and the lives of his unit more than once.

Read More- ABC News

Image courtesy of American Humane Association