Watch Shirtless Australian Firefighters Cuddle Puppies & Kittens In Christmas Video

Christmas came early

As if their annual shirtless calendars or their new shirtless firefighter pillowcases weren’t enough to get you through the past eight unpredictable, tumultuous, shitty months, the Australian firefighters are back with yet another gift: a nearly four-minute long video showing the suspender-wearing heroes petting, cuddling, and cradling Santa Claus hat-wearing rescue pups and kittens as fake snow falls ever-so-gently onto their presumably freshly waxed bodies and as they wave and blow kisses to the camera. And the best part? The early Christmas gift is set to a cover version of Mariah Carey’s holiday hit, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” sung by Diamond White.

“Merry Christmas from the Australian Firefighters Calendar,” the firefighters write.

The video follows the Australian Firefighters releasing the aforementioned bedroom merchandise (the pillowcases) and their annual shirtless calendar, which raises money for several worthy animal charities, Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, where they’re building Australia’s first mobile Wildlife hospital.

“Everyone at the Australian Firefighters Calendar decided that all our efforts needed to be focused on Australian Wildlife this year,” says David Rogers, Australian Firefighters calendar director.

“No one was left unaffected watching our precious wildlife trying to escape from the bushfires, and the loss of wildlife is beyond comprehension,” he adds.

Funds raised from the 2021 Animal Lovers Calendar, specifically, will help injured wildlife from the recent wildfires in Australia, which lost an estimated 1 billion animals last year and through early 2020. And funds raised from the cat and dog calendars this year, which photographed rescued animals this year, will go to rescue organizations such as Safe Haven Animal Rescue and All Breeds Canine Rescue. Other beneficiaries include Australian Seabird Rescue, Native Animal Rescue, Wildcare Inc., RACQ, Rural Aid, and Kids with Cancer Foundation.

“After fighting the fires and witnessing the suffering of the wildlife, my crew and I felt compelled to do more,” says Cameron Simpson, Fire Rescue New South Wales leading firefighter. “We donated money to care for a koala called Anwen and after seeing first-hand the work carried out by the volunteers at the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, our perspective on the protection of our wildlife has been changed forever.”

Last year, calendar sales helped Currumbin Wildlife Hospital pay for new equipment and supplies for nearly six months, during which head vet Dr. Michael Pyne and his team helped save koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and birdlife.

“The support from the donations the calendar provided were vital through the bushfires, supplies were very limited and the injection of funds from the calendar helped save many animals,” Dr. Pyne says.

Now in its 28th year, the Australian Firefighters Calendar has raised more than $3.2 million for various charities.

So, what are you waiting for? Press play on the Australian Firefighters’ Christmas video and drop a pillowcase and calendar (or two) into your virtual cart and help an organization in need this holiday season.