Not only has Baxter helped Jenny through her struggles with depression, but now he’s inspired her to start her own business

We adopted Baxter from a rescue around six or seven years ago when he was two years old. He was found abandoned! He is now about nine and he has helped me through bouts of depression which I get from time to time. He knows when I am struggling mentally and doesn't leave my side.

The pure, unconditional love I feel from his cuddles is so healing

The pure, unconditional love I feel from his cuddles is so healing. He is brilliant with the children, and we adore his huge tongue that constantly sticks out of his mouth like a piece of ham! Baxter snores like a tractor, but he still sleeps in our room like a king. He loves his walks and meeting new people – he’s so loving.

Baxter, along with my other dog Lola, have inspired me to bite the bullet and start my new dog walking business, which also benefits my mental health hugely. This has led me to researching dog behaviour, body language and lots more to give my dogs the best possible life, as a thank you for what they do for me every day.

Albie likes to keep owner Cheryl on her toes, but that’s just part of his charm

Albie, aka the naughtiest dog in the world, shares his infectious happinesswith everyone. He is an adventurer and a born explorer. As soon as his nose starts sniffing, you know you are in for a journey!

He’s attended picnics, football matches and fitness classes

His past exploits have included running into the local supermarket for breakfast, trying to swim to France and joining in with the local paddleboarder and swimmers. He’s attended picnics, football matches and fitness classes, and once even tried to jump into a stranger’s car! He’s also a bit of a treasure hunter and finds all sorts of things on his walks.

Life is never dull with Albie around, and if you’re feeling sad, he’ll lift your spirits back up. I may have given him a home, but he’s brought me a purpose and endless happiness.

Grief is an overwhelming thing. But, by simply being by her side, Hero has been an invaluable source of comfort for Julie.

Hero, a rescue dog, came into my life after my husband died. I took him in initially to be part of the family and to train up at agility.

But dealing with the death of my husband then took its toll on me and I now find life very hard to deal with. There is so much that I feel unable to do without support – and that support is coming from all my dogs, but especially Hero who is constantly by my side.

It’s almost as if we’re healing each other

He reads my emotions and responds in the way he feels best. He is now on the way to becoming my emotional support dog. He was such a mess when I took him on, it’s almost as if we’re healing each other. With his help, I hope to get back some normality and I eventually want to see him compete with the rest of our dogs in agility.

Alison knows her strong-willed dog Ziggy is one of a kind – but that’s what makes her so loveable!

Our Ziggy is a real character. She’s extremely friendly with everyone but like most dogs, she has no concept of ownership and is very proud of the fact that she can carry two tennis balls in her mouth at once. This would be funny, but usually, the tennis balls belong to other dogs, and she’s stolen them without any remorse!

She’s stolen them without any remorse!

It’s now getting so embarrassing that we’ve had t-shirts and neck ties printed for her. They read ‘Tennis ball thief’, and the idea is to give other dog owners a heads-up, as Ziggy tends to steal a ball or two and then head off into the distance as fast as she possibly can. I usually have to take the owner’s number so we can return their pet’s favourite ball at a later date.

The goal for 2021? To finally break the habit of a lifetime and stop that thieving Madam in her tracks!

Laura’s dog Milo is so kind and gentle, you can’t help but adore him

I adopted Milo from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him, but prior to that I used to be his walker. He’s now a happy part of our family, alongside our other two dogs and our two cats, who he adores playing with.

He’s now a happy part of our family

Milo has a calm and caring nature and will always jump onto your lap for snuggles. In fact, he’s so gentle he’s regularly invited to the local primary school to be a reading buddy for the children. He gets to spend some quiet time with them and their books and helps them to stay relaxed.

Our dog has brought so much love and affection into our lives. We just couldn’t be without him!

Debbie welcomed Trooper into her home when no one else would, and he’s given her many years of love and support in return

We rehomed Trooper from Dogs Trust Glasgow when he was 18 months old, and he’s going to be 10 in March. He was first dropped off there when he was only three weeks old, then he was in and out until we met him. The first thing we saw was his cheeky face jumping up and down in his kennel. After that, we became his fifth owners.

It was no surprise to find out that he has ADHD and is OBSESSED with balls, but he has an absolute heart of gold and just wants to be loved. He’s always smiling, even after his rough start in life.

He also really helped me in 2022. My dad had to get a below the knee amputation in May, then my gran got diagnosed with eye melanoma and had to have her eye removed in August. Sadly, she passed away in November. Throughout all of this, Trooper was by my side.

He always knew if I was struggling and as soon as he saw me cry, he would come straight over, climb onto the sofa and cuddle into me. I wish I was like Trooper. He doesn’t let anything get him down and is ALWAYS happy and ready to play.

He’s always smiling, even after his rough start in life