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.

When Elizabeth rescued Milo, little did she know that he would become the inspiration behind her own dog treat business

In August last year, I stumbled across a photo on social media of a little puppy. He had been found with his siblings on the streets of Bosnia and was looking for his forever home. I had thought for a long time about getting a second dog as my older dog is 12 years old and I wanted some company for both of us. After getting through the rehoming process, I was told I had been picked to rehome Milo.

When I picked him up, a lady walked round the corner with a ball of ears and legs in her arms and instantly I fell in love! Almost a year later and he has led to the most amazing transformation of my life. Before I got Milo, I was withdrawn, anxious, socially awkward, depressed and searching for something.

He has led to the most amazing transformation of my life

Now, I adore going out on adventures with Milo, and he has also triggered my biggest adventure yet. My other dog, Holly, has severe allergies so we were always limited with treats and food. So, when training Milo, a young street dog who is food motivated, I needed to find something they could both have. This led to me finding my passion for making dog treats, and my business was born – Liz's Pet Bakery.

Milo is now chief taste tester and official cuddler! During the week I work full time and at the weekend we regularly attend craft fairs, dog shows and food festivals to showcase our treats. Milo meets and greets all the pups whilst operating his own cuddle booth.

We are now both more confident, social, happy and content and he really did change my life for the better. Although we’ve had low points (and I’ve gone through two carpets and six broadband cables), nothing could've prepared me for the transformation this little lad could bring me. I am proud to say I rescued him, and he wants for absolutely nothing!

Jennifer’s daughter was really struggling after she had to leave school due to her autism – but that all changed when Willow came along

My daughter, now 15, has been home-schooled since she was 11. For a little context, she has autism, so secondary school really took a toll on her mental health. The constant overstimulation would leave her tired for days on end. Eventually she couldn't continue at the school, so we had to take her out.

About a year ago, things were getting quite bad. She was barely showering or cleaning herself, she wasn’t leaving the house due to rising anxiety, and she really wasn’t the happy little girl I know and love. She’s always had a connection with animals, and her love for them has been a coping mechanism, so we got her Willow.

We’re currently planning to get her trained to be an assistance dog for my daughter

To say this bettered her life is a massive understatement. Willow is a playful pooch. She’ll bring you a toy anytime to try to get you to play. She loves to play tug with anything. She likes it when we sit on the floor and throw dog biscuits for her to chase and eat. She also enjoys bringing us bones to hold while she chews them – it's often stinky, but it's how she bonds, and we love her for it! She also loves her cuddles, so she’ll curl up on our laps and sleep whenever possible.

Having the extra responsibility of this fluffball in my daughter’s life has helped tremendously. She now leaves the house to walk her, she comes out of her room more to spend time with Willow, and she’s even more confident talking to people with Willow nearby! We’re currently planning to get her trained to be an assistance dog for my daughter. She’s the little superhero we needed.

Now that they’re dog owners, Laura and her partner are always exploring the Scottish countryside with Rolo in tow

Rolo came into our lives about 16 months ago. We had wanted a dog for a while, but the time was never right, with my partner working in home care and me working for the NHS. Lockdown changed all that. It made us realise that it’s the smaller things in life that matter most, so along came Rolo.

Since getting Rolo, our lives have changed drastically for the better. We really can’t remember life without him. The weekends before he came along were filled with the same old things – going to cinema, staying home with a takeaway, or going to a friend’s for drinks. Now on the weekends, we look forward to exploring this fantastic country we live in. We’ve seen more of Scotland in the short time we’ve had him than in all the years we’ve been living here.

Since getting Rolo, our lives have changed drastically for the better

We love nothing more than getting up on a Saturday morning, going for a lovely drive and hiking round the lochs or up the hills. On the road home, we’ll stop at a wee dog-friendly pub for a bit to eat. We have made many friends because of Rolo, and he has his own circle of canine friends.

Rolo is a German Shepherd, so not the smallest dog ever. He absolutely loves life and is an absolute character. He’s one and a half now, and full of cheek at times, but we wouldn’t change him for the world. He does like to answer back now and again when he does naughty things, but he is a teenager after all!

The best part is the greeting you get when you come home from a hard day’s work. The joy and excitement in his eyes say it all. It really is unconditional love. Life before Rolo was okay and we were happy, but life with him is much more amazing. He’s had such a positive influence that I know both of us will be eternally grateful for.

Thanks to clever Lexi, Dominic knows when he’s going to have a diabetic episode

I have type 2 diabetes and Lexi has never been trained to know when I'm about to experience either hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia due to my diabetes, but over the first year we had her, my wife noticed she would come and lay down beside me when I was about to have one or the other.

She is my little life saver

So now, when Lexi comes over and lays down next to me, I know I'm about to have either a hypo or hyper, and my wife can test my blood sugar levels. She is my little life saver.

Denise is constantly amused by how much her dog Meg loves playing with her football-themed toys

It took our dog, Meg, about nine years to be able to play with a toy without totally destroying it. She adopted her first cushion football after rooting through a charity bag of toys and claiming it. We’ve since bought her plenty more because she becomes so attached to them. She plays with them, takes them out into the garden and even falls asleep next to them!

She becomes so attached to them

Meg is not amused when we put her toys in the wash. We’re only forgiven when she can get them back out quickly, sometimes before they’re fully dried. The funniest thing about her obsession is that if you say football, she goes and finds one! She’s a great dog who’s always filling our days with laughter.