When dog-owner Maureen Savelo posted pictures of her dog Riley on her Facebook wall to give her friends a good laugh, she had no clue the image would become an instant Internet sensation. What’s so fab about a picture of a dog, you ask? In the original picture of Riley, he is sitting in front of a birthday cake grinning like a human child.

No kidding! It is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen, because as dog owner, I’ve actually seen my own dog smile before. It gives them a human quality, lending credence to the notion that animals not only have feelings, but that they actually understand what’s going on around them with greater capacity than we could ever imagine.

When asked about Riley, Savelo noted that he is well-known at home for a wide variety of human-like expressions, including an incredulous look of disbelief if she pets him while he’s sleeping. This is just the first time Riley’s been caught grinning on camera.

The overnight stardom hasn’t gone to Riley’s head, not even after he appeared on The Today Show. What a cute dog! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go hug my Husky and let him know how much I appreciate his smile.