Artie loves Amy’s grandad almost as much as he enjoys stealing takeaways..

Artie is a rescue Greyhound who is wonderful in every way. My partner and I are both key workers, and our sensitive Artie always offers us endless comfort and support at the end of a long shift.

Artie brings him so much joy

He has also proved to be a very understanding dog and loves to cuddle with my grandad. Despite his young age, Artie always stands by his side, gently snuggling into him and lapping up the attention. My grandad has Alzheimer’s, but Artie brings him so much joy.

Artie is an entertaining dog and loves jumping on the spot and skidding onthe floor when he sees you. He is the perfect addition to our family, even though he tries to steal all of our takeaways by grabbing them off the kitchen table! He will always have a place in our hearts.

Whether she’s stealing tea towels or picking up things they drop, Zayat is always making Mandy and her family laugh with her cheeky antics

Zayat is such a character. She does so many funny things, and always makes us laugh. She’s also very clever, so if we drop anything, even if it’s tiny, she’ll find it, put it between her lips and look at us. Then we’ll ask her ‘what’ve you got?’, and she finally spits it out so we can see what it is.

We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher

We can hide anything, say ‘go find it’ and she would sniff it out. She often understands what we’re saying, so she knows people by name, and can read our body language. If we need cheering up, Zayat will always make us feel better.

She loves to take our socks off and our hats. We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher as she will steal the tea towel at any opportunity. We don't even realise she’s taken it as she does it so craftily, then she runs off with it so proudly. Life would be very dull without Zayat – she’s a one off!

Cheerful Ripley knows exactly when to lend a supportive paw to her owner, Andrew

Ripley, our Hungarian Vizsla, holds a special place in our hearts because of her boundless energy, unwavering loyalty and gentle nature.

She's always ready for an adventure, bringing joy and laughter into our lives with her playful antics.

She’s a cherished member of our family

Ripley's affectionate demeanour makes her an irreplaceable companion. She’s super intuitive when it comes emotions, too – offering us comfort and love in times of need.

She’s more than just a pet, she’s a cherished member of our family whose presence makes every day brighter.

Heather has adopted many Miniature Schnauzer’s in her lifetime, but few live up to Bella Bear

We rescue female Miniature Schnauzer dogs from puppy farms. Over the past 20 years, we’ve rescued 16 – each with their own set of fears, neuroses, strange habits and physical problems after years in the most dreadful environments.

Two years ago, we suddenly lost a very young rescue who had a heart murmur. I looked online and saw that there was a nine-month-old Miniature Schnauzer in a rescue in Wales. On the hottest day of the year, we travelled 300 miles to get her and 300 miles to bring her home. Since that day she has delighted us with her youth, her love for everyone and her exuberance for life.

She is a true joy

She is always happy. She insists on cuddling and playing with the four much older dogs we have and they seem to forget their traumas and woes when they’re around her. She patrols the garden endlessly to ensure no pigeon, jackdaw, or rook lands. But she’ll give robins and blackbirds safe access. She insists on taking out a soft toy every time she goes into the garden. But she always leaves them there. She greets us with squeals of delight even if we’ve only been gone for five minutes. She sleeps between us on her own pillow, never moving, but pressing against my back as though to say ‘I’ve got you’. Everyone loves Bella Bear. Although we don’t seek a reward for rescuing these dogs, I believe she is our reward for looking after all our ‘damaged’ girls over the years. She is a true joy.

Christine’s dog Patch likes to keep her on her toes sometimes, but she knows he’ll always be there for her no matter what

Patch is such a loving dog. He enjoys nothing more than a good cuddle – but don’t be fooled, because he can also be a cheeky little rascal! One of his worst habits is unplugging things from their sockets. Once, he even managed to unplug my freezer! I’ve had to strategically place objects around the house now in an effort to deter him.

He can also be a cheeky little rascal!

One of the things I love most about Patch is his quirkiness. He likes to make himself comfortable, so every day he jumps up onto the sofa and rearranges the cushions so he has a stack of pillows to rest his head on. It makes us laugh every time!

He’s also extremely protective of me. Patch loves to sit and look out of the window, but if he sees someone approaching the house he barks like mad at them. Of course, that’s not to say he doesn’t know how to behave – every evening after I’ve done the dishes, he sits and waits patiently for me to give him his treat.

Katie wasn’t a dog-person until she met Bear, the adorable pooch who brings even more joy to her life

I'll start by saying I didn't really want a dog. My husband had wanted one for so long, however I felt that it was an extra responsibility and commitment that we didn't really need – but then I met Bear.

He’s lifted me up when I’ve felt sad

Bear is my best friend. He's lifted me up when I’ve felt sad, helped me cope with stress and brought even more joy to my life during the happiest times – like on holiday, where he adapted naturally to life as the resident camp pooch.

We're incredibly close to the owners of his sister Dolly, and our two dogs share an incredible amount of traits. They're both inseparable, bonkers and completely ball mad!

One of Bear’s funniest traits is the way he bounces for his breakfast. It's like he gets so excited to eat that he starts dancing – a breakfast boogie, so to speak. Bear really is the most wonderful dog and the best friend a girl could wish for!