Jet helped Sue and her family heal after the loss of their beloved Banjo, and now he’s like an older brother to their two younger Whippets

Jet came to us with his brother Rebel via Whippet Rescue. We had recently lost our much-loved whippet, Banjo, at the age of three to an awful brain disease. We were heartbroken.

A few weeks after Banjo’s death, we received a phone call asking if we would consider adopting the two brothers. Their owner had become unwell and was no longer able to care for them. They were being passed around family members, none of whom wanted them. We thought long and hard for at least thirty seconds and said we would love them.

Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack

When we picked them up, every bone was visible. They were sunburnt, their ears were like old leather, and they were scared and bewildered. Over the next few weeks, we healed each other. They filled the enormous void left by our beloved Banjo, and we lavished them with good food and lots of TLC. They spent hours relaxing in the garden, and as they became more confident and settled, they helped out by digging and running all over the beds – but we didn’t mind.

We started taking them out in the car and they became firm favourites at our local National Trust property. They also loved trips to the beach as there was so much space to run. Sadly, we lost Rebel to kidney failure in March this year. However, Jet was not left alone as we had adopted a Whippet Bedlington Terrier cross called Reg in 2022.

At the end of May this year, we also had a message from a friend saying there was another Whippet in need, and she knew we had a ‘vacancy’, so Sam came to join us. Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack and keeps an eye on Reg and Sam.

Simba came into Deirdre and her husband’s life at one of their lowest moments, but over time he’s helped them heal

Simba came to us as a 14-week-old puppy. We’d recently lost our first cockapoo, Ellie, to hypothermia at 17 months, after she fell in a river in a freak accident while chasing a bird. We were devastated, and coming home to just an empty cage and her favourite toy was horrible.

I knew that I had to do something, so when I saw the advert for Simba, I made an enquiry. We went to see him that evening and we brought him home the very next day. Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss – he makes us laugh, he makes us cry, he exasperates us beyond measure, but he is always there for us when we are sad or upset.

Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss

Simba will never replace Ellie, who’ll always have a piece of our hearts, but he’s so loving and very much a mummy’s boy. He’s my shadow, following me everywhere and crying if I leave the room. He also steals things he shouldn’t, like underwear, socks or anything else he knows belongs to us and is out of bounds – even my mobile phone! I think I’m on phone case number six because he likes to chew them.

Simba's my life. He doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body and would defend his pack (my husband, myself and our best friend) to the ends of the earth to stop us getting hurt. He’s a very special dog, and I’m so glad that I found him at one of the worst times in my life. He’s my rock and I love him beyond words.

Laurie’s dog Angus may be hard of hearing, but doesn’t stop him from living a happy life

Angus is our partially deaf Border Collie. We collected him when he was just eight weeks old, and now we couldn’t imagine our lives without him.

He does hear loud noises, which can sometimes startle him, and he responds to his name if you say it clearly enough. Mostly, he follows signs, even though we make a large amount of them up! It’s like we’ve developed our own language for him.

Without her, my life would be very bleak

Angus is a very clever dog, so he’ll always let us know when he wants something. I think we would all have struggled without him in the last year. He loves long walks in the countryside, which has been great for me. My dog is like my little shadow, and a treasured member of our family.

Cody has helped Helen to come out of a dark place feeling happier and more hopeful

I was only 20 when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which was a really tough period of my life. At the time, I told my parents how much I’d love to have a dog to keep me company, but I never thought they’d actually agree to get one.

After returning home from a trip one day, I went upstairs to chat to my mum and found the sweetest, most cuddly looking dog sat on her bed! That was the first time I met Cody and I haven’t looked back since.

I haven’t looked back since

At first, getting woken up at all hours of the night and having to share my bed with an ever-growing Rottweiler was a bit of a shock. But Cody truly saw me through the darkest time of my life and for that I’ll be forever grateful. He has helped me in ways I can’t even put into words.

Eight years later and our bond is still going strong. Now, he’s much bigger and manages to scare away most delivery drivers and all the postmen – but really, he’s a big softie at heart. All he wants is a belly rub and for you to hold is paw.

Kurtis is always there to keep Stephanie calm, taking her out and about for some fresh air and making her laugh with his dancing!

When I first found Kurtis, I was struggling through a very difficult time in my life. I was depressed and battling anxiety, which left me spiralling and unsure what to do.

Little Terrier with the biggest heart

My boyfriend and I had moved into our first home together, with a garden perfect for a small dog. Having grown up with dogs around me, it felt incomplete without one. After a lengthy search for the right breed and a rigorous adoption process, we drove the 11-hour round-trip to collect Kurtis from his former owners who no longer wanted him. We worked hard on his confidence, obedience and toilet training, and fell in love with his personality – a cheeky, lovely little Terrier with the biggest heart.

Kurtis kept me company on my long commute and became an amazing office dog. When my anxiety attacks come along, he sits on my lap and licks my face, so that I have to calm down and cuddle him. He gives me a reason to get out and about and get fresh air so that I don’t wallow.

Kurtis loves to cuddle on the sofa, but he also loves to dance. He will stand on his hind legs and tap dance for attention, and trot around with his oinky toy pig! He loves to sunbathe and will sit right on your head if it happens to be in a sunny spot. We take him on all of our adventures, and he checks out dog-friendly spots wherever we go!

Lucinda is so proud of the way Macy is helping others to cope during lockdown

Macy is a very special Labrador. She was once an unwanted delinquent puppy, but as soon as I met her, I knew we shared a special connection. She still has issues from her past and can scare easily, but together we’vedeveloped her confidence and now she has a unique way of communicating with me.

I suffer from a debilitating hearing condition called Hyperacusis and it makes everyday life difficult. Macy has learnt to alert me to sounds that she knows will affect me. She stays by my side no matter what.

She’s helped so many people and their pets

Throughout lockdown, Macy has worked with me to provide free training tips and exercises that people can do at home with their dogs. She’s helped so many people and their pets to stay motivated during this time.

At 11 years old, Macy is showing no signs of slowing down. She’s always agreat foster sibling to the rescue dogs we look after and cares deeply not just for her family, but for all those around her.