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British Dogs

Meet Amber

Throughout all of Ellie’s suffering Amber was right there beside her, providing her with the emotional support she needed to keep fighting.

My Cockapoo Amber has helped me to stay positive through the toughest times of my life. She came into our family when I was 16 and first started experiencing symptoms of my illness. She was only eight weeks old and quickly became my best friend, as I had to leave school and my life as I knew it began to fall apart.

It was almost two years later I was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness that left me housebound, in constant pain and extremely weak. At my lowest, Amber was the only thing that kept me going and the only thing that would make me smile. Whenever I got upset she would lick my tears away and stay by my side and when I was really unwell, she would scratch and cry at my door or do whatever she could to be with me. She was a constant source of comfort and made me feel so safe and less lonely.

She would lick away my tears

When nurses would come to visit me at home, they would always comment that Amber was always so close to me but she also instinctively knew when she needed to give me and the nurses space (although she was never too far away). They would often tell me that they’d always say they we’re going to see ‘Ellie and Amber’ because she never left my side. I’d spend months in hospital, and she would come and visit me. Having a cuddle and seeing her happy face was a massive boost. My heart would feel lighter whenever she would visit.

Without Amber I wouldn’t be here today. Last year I had surgery that thankfully gave me a second chance at life. I only got to that point because I wanted so desperately to take her for long walks or play with her in the garden again, she’s mad about tennis balls and loves to play fetch. The idea of giving her a happy life and repaying her for all the years of happiness she gave me when I needed it most kept me going. She still supports me when I have bad days but now I take advantage of every opportunity I can to be with her and do something fun.

I honestly don’t think words can really describe just how much I love her and what she means to me, but when I was a little girl I would dream about having a dog like her and I feel so lucky to have her in my life.


Meet Forrest

Forrest picked Danielle up when she was feeling low and transformed her life, even if he does give her a run for her money sometimes…

I had hit rock bottom before I picked up Forest. I felt like I had no purpose in life and he completely saved me. I have never felt a love like it. Getting up and walking with him each morning has been incredible for my mental health and I have loved taking him to all my favourite National Trust spots.

The most loving dog

He loves his walks but is a little bit of a diva in this weather and manages to skirt his way around all the mud and puddles. I love the way he lies down when he sees other dogs coming almost as if he’s ready to pounce and play with them, and also his little squeaks every time he yawns. His walk has been described as more of a strut – cute and he knows it!

His name came from my favourite film, Forrest Gump, and we have had many a laugh shouting ‘run Forrest run!’ while working on his off-the-lead training.

He’s very foxy looking and it’s been so funny hearing everyone walk past him and gasp about how much he looks like one. He’s the best thing to every happen to me. Without a doubt he saved my life and I’m already so excited to take him on many more adventures.


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Meet Albert

Albert the St Bernard puppy is such a huge part of Beth’s life that he’s even going to play a role in her wedding.

I lost my dog a few years ago and decided that I was going to wait until my circumstances had changed to get another. I then met my amazing partner and we decided to look for a puppy.

After a lot of discussion, we decided on a St Bernard. We found a wonderful lady in England who had just had a litter and we contacted her and that was it, Albert was booked. He brings us all more joy and happiness then we could imagine and we could not love him more.

Albert makes us laugh every day and brings us together as a family. He will also walk down the aisle with me at our wedding next year. We just can’t wait!

We could not love him more


Meet Daisy

Even though she finds walking difficult, Daisy never lets that stop her from enjoying her life with her owner Gilli

Daisy is so brave. She has a neurological condition that makes her extremely wobbly on her back legs. But she just gets on with life, always happy and wagging her tail. If she falls over, she just gets up and carries on with what she was doing. She goes to hydrotherapy once a week and loves her therapist.

You can’t feel down when Daisy is around

You can’t feel down when Daisy is around as she’s just consistently happy. She makes me smile every day and has really helped me over the years, especially when I was recovering from radiotherapy and major surgery for oral cancer, where half of my tongue had to be removed and rebuilt.

Daisy didn’t care what I looked or sounded like when I was getting my new tongue round speaking clearly. She is simply my joy, along with her 9-year-old Labrador brother Kobi and our five cats. They all keep me on my toes and constantly smiling. Our dancing wobbly dog is simply amazing.


Meet Lily

After losing one of their dogs a few years ago, Sally and her family have been treasuring every moment with Lily

Lily is the most loyal, faithful Labrador. We’ve had her since she was a pup, along with our Labradoodle Ozzy, who we lost to cancer in April 2020. Lily adored Ozzy and we were afraid she would pine. But thankfully her personality has shone through. She’s very greedy and has emptied bins and hoovered up the flour that we put out to discourage ants.

I can’t bear to think what life would be like without her

She’s struggled with walking long distances lately, so we bought her a large dog buggy for longer trips. She wasn’t keen at first, but now she loves it and prefers riding to walking. She sits just like a princess, enjoying the journeys. She’s never slept on the sofa before, but ever since we’ve had our son and his dog staying with us, she enjoys jumping on the sofa each night after we've gone to bed.

She was also named after the Queen (Lilibet), as she was due to be born on the Queen's birthday. I can’t bear to think what life would be like without our truly adorable Lily, who everyone loves. And she loves them too, especially if they have a treat in their pocket.


Meet Sally

Tan’s dog Sally didn’t have the best start in life, but she still manages to find the sunshine in every day

We adopted Sally from a rescue charity called Wolfies Legacy.She was originally a street dog in Tunisia where she suffered a gun wound. Both of her front elbows were severely damaged, and as she didn’t have access to a vet, her front legs ended up becoming set in a bent, upright position.

Despite all she’s been through, Sally is the most loving and trusting dog you could ever wish to meet.She's adapted to walking on her elbows, which we pad to protect, and can sit on her hind legs when she’s begging for treats or if she wants to be picked up. She’s incredibly fast when she wants to be and knows how to jump and hop at speed.

She’s a dog that lives for the moment

We run a home-boarding dog business and Sally is our guidance dog for all the new arrivals.She is super friendly and always makes them feel safeand welcome. Some dogs are a little puzzled by her, as they can't quite figure out why she won't run around with them, but we've noticed how easily they learn to play in ways that accommodate her. It’s truly heart-warming to watch how the dogs interact, accept and embrace Sally’s disabilities.

Being unable to walk very far hasn't stopped Sally from loving life and exploring. We take her out in her buggy every day, and she loves nothing more than to watch the world go by. She’s a dog that lives for the momentand enjoys everything life offers her. Having Sally is a constant reminder that life is what you make it.


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