Since he came into Chris’ life, Wyn’s been a therapy pet, a school dog and even a blood donor

Wyn came to me after he'd been found as a stray and handed in at my vet. After no one came to claim him, I took him in. When he was first brought in, he wasn’t chipped or wearing a collar, so I asked him, ‘What's your name?’ Then I told him that that could be shortened to ‘Wyn’, and I got a wag. So, Wyn's name is actually the acronym of that question.

He's a Saluki cross, and like many Salukis, he enjoys chasing games with my other hounds. He's also a typical Sighthound, and when he’s not playing games, he chills out on the sofa.

He loves his cuddles – as far as he’s concerned, people are there to love and fuss him, and he returns that in kind. This quickly led to him doing his Pets As Therapy assessment, and he’s been visiting a local mental health hospital for many years now. He loves his visits, and everyone loves seeing him. The staff have told me he makes a real difference to the patients and their wellbeing.

He’s been visiting a local mental health hospital for many years

Wyn’s also an education dog, so he goes into schools with me to promote animal welfare. After our sessions, the children get to meet him. He’s always really gentle with them, and he's even helped some of them overcome their fear of dogs.

He recently retired as a blood donor with Pet Blood Bank UK, having made 25 donations. This means he helped save the lives of 100 dogs, as each donation gets turned into four blood products. He even continued donating during Covid, even though I wasn't allowed to accompany him.

Wyn is always a fantastic icebreaker. Usually no one speaks to each other on train journeys, but when I’m travelling to events with him, everyone wants to come and say hello. He’s a fantastic companion to me and a wonderful ambassador for dogs in general, particularly Sighthounds.

Diana wasn’t sure about dogs, but Ruby came into her life and changed that forever

We treat Ruby like she’s our third daughter.I’d never had a dog before and I was scared about getting one, but having Ruby has made me see that all dogs are absolutely lovely. She has always been a mummy’s girl, and she won’t go for a walk with anyone else. We go to France twice a year and Ruby has come with us every time. It’s a long day of travelling, but right she’s always good as gold.

She won’t go for a walk with anyone else

She is so affectionate and loves nothing more than cuddles on the sofa. If you’re sad, she will snuggle and kiss you even more. I am so pleased my husband and children talked me in to getting a dog, as Ruby has made the past ten years of my life the happiest yet.

Kirsty is incredibly grateful for Bruno’s infectious love for life

Bruno came to us at just four months old. He is so lively and happy, and nothing ever brings him down. We could never have anticipated how greathe would be for us, or how much he would help our mental health. It’s like he knows when we’re having a bad day and does everything he can to make us feel better.

We honestly can’t imagine life without him

Even though he is a big dog now, he still believes he can sit on our laps. We honestly can’t imagine life without him and it’s even more difficult to remember what it what like before him.

Bruno wants to play with every other dog he sees. His favourite places to walk are along the river or down the beach, though he isn’t a big fan of the sea. We share our love for him on his Instagram page. We just hope that if people are having a bad day, they stumble across his cute pictures and find a reason to smile again.

Carmen has been Wendy’s saviour during lockdown, but she hasn’t got the hang of video calls just yet...

Carmen is my Canine Partner, who’s been with me for just over a year now. She’s a beautiful Golden Retriever with the longest fluffy tail.

My dog helps me with tasks around the house. If I stop breathing at night, she wakes my husband by jumping on the bed, and is even trained to use an emergency phone to call an ambulance.

She is extremely caring but also has a wild side

She is extremely caring but also has a wild side and goes crazy on the beach. I think she’s trying to dig her way to Australia! The way she runs and plays, it’s hard to believe she’s the same calm girl that helps me through every day.

Carmen used to be a school reading dog, which she loved. She always looked as though she understood every word the children were saying. Now the reading classes take place over a video call, and Carmen always tries to get behind my laptop to see if the children are actually there behind the screen.

I don’t know how I’d have coped with lockdown without Carmen by my side. She is my angel and I love her to bits.

Cooper may keep Louisa and her family on their toes, but it’s impossible to get mad at him

Cooper came into our lives in December 2019. He is the most laid-back but equally energetic dog I've ever met. A lot of Cooper's development time was spent during lockdown, which was wonderful. He was my little working companion – he would sit on my knee and nap, and now, even though he's almost fully grown, he still does the same! He is a pleasure. He helps to wake up my two young sons every morning. I say: "Go and get the boys", and he runs upstairs and licks them until they get up!

He makes us all smile, every single day

One day, we were practicing recall while on a walk with Cooper. It was going great until he spotted a squirrel and did a complete U-turn and chased after it! Off into the bushes he went. They lead into the woods, so we were all shouting him back, but he didn't come back. The kids were distraught. I retraced the whole of our walk, shouting for him, asking passers-by if they’d seen him. No joy. I headed back to the field and told the kids to go home and wait on the step. I carried on the search, as did my husband, and were both becoming increasingly worried.

My husband called me 30 minutes later. I'd still not found him, nor had he. We both carried on searching, but it was getting dark. Another 20 minutes later my husband called saying, "He's home, he's with the boys". Cooper had come tottering back home, covered in all kinds, with a look on his face as if to say, "Where did you go?". We were over-joyed. We couldn't even be mad at him because of this look he had on his face. He makes us all smile, every single day.

Linda loves her beagle Chloe dearly, even when she’s stealing the family’s socks!

Chloe’s a wee beagle. She’s so loving with all other dogs and children, and she loves her walks. When she was younger, she had to get pins in her back legs, and now she has a small tumour which has to be checked, but the vet has said not to worry as it’s only small.

She loves everyone unconditionally

She loves everyone unconditionally, and enjoys stealing our socks, which is always so funny. Hopefully we’ll have her for a good few years yet, as I just love her to pieces.

She also sleeps on my pillow, next to my head at night, which I love. She’s such an adorable wee cutie, my angel Chloe.