Life has thrown some challenges in Scott’s way, but with Archie by his side, there’s nothing he can’t overcome.

Last year I retired from my job for medical reasons and was feeling pretty down. Thankfully, Archie the four-year-old Labrador came to the rescue by becoming my companion dog.

Archie brightens up every day

Since we’ve all been spending much more time at home recently, he’s been a godsend to me and brings a smile to my face every day. When I'm lying in bed he’ll come up and lay beside me, and if he can sense I’m feeling down he’ll give me lots of cuddles. He even throws in a few licks as well, just to show how much he loves me. He gets plenty of belly tickles and affection in return, of course!

Archie brightens up every day and has improved my quality of life, especially this past year when things have been so different.

The moment Cleo appeared in Heather’s life, she changed it for the better

Cleo arrived on my doorstep as her owner had become ill and couldn’t keep her. She was referred to as ‘number five’, because she was the fifth dog in the house. It didn’t take long before she made friends with all the others and became a member of our family.

She’s helped me make new friends

She was so caring and spent a lot of time with my lodger, who was unwell.Cleo encouraged him to get out, and the pair of them would go for gentle walks together. Now, she walks with me every day when I go litter picking down by the river. Everyone we meet stops to talk to her, so she’s helped me make new friends, which I’ve especially appreciated throughout the last year.

Aprille, her husband and their dog Ella love exploring the British countryside together

Ella came into our lives when our friends decided to breed their Labrador Sam. We love mountain climbing and long walks in the Suffolk countryside, and they convinced us that we needed a dog to share those experiences with.

Ella’s favourite place to walk is the Lake District

They were certainly right. Ella’s favourite place to walk is the Lake District,and we’ve been fortunate enough to spend many hours hiking the Cumbrian Mountains. She loves collecting rocks and sticks to carry on her adventures, even if they’re half the size of her! We think she must be part-seal, because she’s so dedicated, she often dives underwater to seek out her treasures

She has been our best friend during this troublesome year, and we never go far without her. Ella has even given us the inspiration to write blogs about our walks and take pictures of the many glorious sunsets we catch along the way. It will be a lovely way for us to look back on our adventurestogether.

Pablo gave his owner, Traci, a reason to smile when she was feeling low

Pablo originally lived in Gran Canaria. He came over to England in November 2019 and went to live with a foster mum in Sheffield through a charity called Pet Pals GC. Around this time, our beloved border collie, Barney, had been diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma and we were told he wouldn’t make it to Christmas. We sadly lost Barney in December and our hearts were truly shattered.

I was sad, but I also I knew I had the room in my heart to look after another dog. We’ve always had big dogs, but I had recently been diagnosed with arthritis in my spine and knees, so I felt a smaller breed would better fit the bill. I came across Pablo while browsing animal charities online and arranged to go and visit him in Sheffield the following week.

As soon as I met him, I could feel my heart melting

As soon as I met him, I could feel my heart mending a little bit, as he sat straight on my lap and covered me in kisses. A couple of weeks after taking Pablo home, we went into lockdown. We’d go out for walks every day around the golf course, where Pablo loves playing in the sand bunkers.

He makes us laugh and smile every single day. I still miss my Barney boy, but my heart is now full of love again thanks to our little Spanish street dog.

Brody is always around to look out for Amy and her family

Brody is the most loving dog. He brought my partner and I closer togetherwhen we took him on his daily walks during lockdown. He is patient, caring and playful, and he always looks after our new-born son, laying with him when he cries, or staying at our feet when we feed him.

He always looks after our new-born son

He also has a great sense of humour and a very playful character. For instance, he likes to survey the neighbourhood as though he’s a watchdog, he barks at his treats and spends hours playing with his ball. Brody is a truly special dog.

Nicola is so grateful to have a companion as loyal and loving as Rogue

I lost my hair in 2017 due to alopecia and developed chronic fatigue syndrome in the same year as a result of severe stress. It was a real blow, as I used to be outdoorsy and sporty, and I was left spending a lot of my time indoors and isolated.

I’d wanted a dog for years, but my working life meant it was never really possible for me to get one. In February 2018, I finally convinced my partner that a dog would be great for my confidence, for my mental health, for companionship and to encourage me to get outside again. Shortly after, we drove two hours to Leeds and back to bring home Rogue, our German Shorthaired Pointer.

She even brings me the post

She’s given me a reason to get out of bed and to get outside (twice a day, every day for at least an hour). I’ve trained her to pick things up and carry them for me including light shopping bags from the car, and she even brings me the post.

A while ago, we moved to a house with a two-acre garden and completed a two-year renovation. At every stage she was there to “help” the tradesmen and to “quality inspect” any materials arriving on site by running off down the garden with them and throwing them around in the air. She was checking their sturdiness for the job, clearly.

Now the house is finished she spends most of her time with me in the garden. I’m planning to start a veg bed and flower patch, so she helps by digging holes – just not always where I want them!