Whatever the season, Fizz is always there to help Alice when she’s working on the farm

My Jack Russell, Fizz, is my workmate and best friend. Whether we are lambing sheep from January until April or sat on the tractor all summer and autumn, she’s always there. To be fair, she has an easy life on the tractor, just sleeping and watching the wildlife (that she would love to chase).

She is worth a million dollars to me

But when it comes to the sheep, she’ll help drive them round when we move them, and you can often find her in the lambing shed looking after any bottle or poorly lambs. She nurses them with gentle licks, encouraging them to survive – or sometimes she’s just cleaning milk off their faces.

At the end of a busy day or after chilling with family or friends, she can be found in the pub with me and often many more dogs too. She is worth a million dollars to me, and it would take a lot to replace her.

Since she moved in with Ashlea’s family, Millie’s transformed from a fearful rescue dog to a happy, loving pooch

Millie is a rescue Golden Retriever who has been part of our family for just over a year now, alongside her sister Bella, who is a rescue tortoiseshell cat.

We live in the Forest of Dean so Millie’s absolute favourite thing is long hikes through the forest, where she can run after squirrels and wallow in every muddy puddle, pond and stream she can find.

Millie was a little nervous when we first got her, but now she’ll go up to any person she sees for fuss and cuddles. Unfortunately for her, some people are less keen for cuddles after she’s had a good mud roll.

Millie was previously kept in an outside run and had never been in a house before we brought her home, but she’s now fully adapted to a life of luxury, snoozing on the sofa or our bed! She’s a beautiful, gentle and sweet-souled girl. I may be biased, but to me, she is the dog of the year every year.

To me, she is the dog of the year every year

Mell is so proud of how much Bess has grown in confidence

Bess was a rescue from the Border Collie Trust. She is very quietand a little timid, but she’s still adored by everyone who meets her. When she first arrived, she was afraid of everything, and although she still doesn’t like fireworks or loud noises, she’s come out of her shell a lot. Now she even allows strangers to strokeher, which is a good thing because everyone who meets her can’t seem to stay away!

She’s come out of her shell

Her favorite pastime is playing with plastic flower pots and racing around the garden.She is such a great dog and has helped us all to get through lockdown with her gentlenessand patience.

As her son’s hearing support dog, Anya has given Norma’s family a peace of mind they thought they’d never have.

Anya is a sensitive, loving and intelligent Golden Cocker Spaniel who has been a part of our lives for five years now. She gives every family member their own special attention, but as my son’s hearing support dog, she’s also his best friend. Every morning she starts her day by jumping on his bed, trying to dig him out from under his duvet!

Offering more than just hearing support, Anya also provides him with unconditional love and friendship. She calls him down for dinner by entering his room, nudging him with her wet, black nose and then leading him downstairs. It’s very comforting to know that she’s always there to protect him, especially when he’s asleep at night. If the smoke alarm goes off, for example, she can wake him up and alert him to the danger.

She’ll be there to protect him

 Anya loves her walks and, as a typical Spaniel, she loves to sniff out fox poo! Her favourite human foods are sausages and cheese – if you ever eat them in front of her, she always looks at you with the biggest brown eyes, trying to get you to share them. She also adores playing frisbee, always running after it and bringing it back for us to throw again.

She’s our first dog, and every day we are thankful for the love and support she gives us. Suffering from hearing loss can sometimes mean that people shy away from you, but with Anya around people are actually drawn to us.

When I look at her asleep on the sofa, I understand why dogs like to sleep a lot – it’s because when they’re awake, they devote all of their energy to looking after their humans.

Jaxson has helped Rebecca and her family transform their lifestyle and find an appreciation for the great outdoors

We got Jaxson in October last year and he has completely changed our lives. We were not very active and had an unhealthy lifestyle, but since Jaxson has been in our lives we have two daily walks and really enjoy our time out in the fresh air.

He has completely changed our lives

He is a Cocker Spaniel and is full of energy and is very cheeky but also so loving. I have always been a cat person and never knew I could love a dog as much as I do ours. He brings us all so much joy and laughter.

Ever since Scout’s life was saved as a puppy, Tracey has been working hard to put that kindness back out into the world

I didn’t know how much I needed Scout until he crash-landed (literally) into my arms as a puppy. Abandoned on the streets and left to fend for himself, he was eventually picked up and taken to a pound. He was emaciated, suffering from mange and kennel cough, and believed to be both blind and deaf, so they thought it might be kinder to put him to sleep. After all, who would want a puppy with so many problems?

Luckily, thanks to the heroic efforts of three amazing rescue organisations, Scout’s life was saved. We were lucky enough to adopt him a short time later and he turned our world upside down. Although he’s not deaf, he’s completely blind, but this hasn’t held him back in the slightest. He climbs mountains, paddles in the sea and runs freely with his canine pals.

Throughout Scout’s life, we’ve been on a mission to repay the kindness that was shown to him as a puppy. For instance, he’s been a much-loved therapy dog, visiting a local dementia care home to spread joy and love. He’s also the adopted mascot for a local community carers café.

Over the years, Scout has helped to raise thousands of pounds for a local dog rescue, attending meet and greets, street collections, and lending a paw on tombola stalls. During lockdown, he managed to raise £500 by fronting an online dog show. He’s also attended Crufts several times, supporting anti-puppy farming campaigns, and even helping to launch a charity foundation.

Scout gave me my life back. After my first dog was tragically killed by another dog on a walk, I developed severe anxiety about walking outside, but owning Scout made me strong. I’m his eyes, so he needs me to be confident and unafraid, and keep him safe. Out and about, he always puts a smile on people’s faces with his quirky high-stepping gait – a result of his blindness. Scout is my inspiration, my hero and my best friend.

He always puts a smile on people’s faces