Abigail got her sassy little Chihuahua Bob as soon as she moved into her first home at the age of 21.

I got Bob from Gumtree, because his old owner said he didn’t get along with her other dogs. At this point he was 18 months old and had never really been on a walk outside, he had always been pushed around in a dog pram because he just refused to walk!

The special thing about Bob is he has three legs, as his front left leg never properly formed. The day he came to live with me I popped him down on the pavement and with no issue at all he started hopping along next to me! He now loves his long walks along the local canal with my grandad, my mum and her dogs, managing about eight miles which is pretty good for a three-legged Chihuahua!

He now loves his long walks

He hasn’t just brightened up my life but also all of my family members lives too. The first thing any of them say to me is always ‘How’s bob doing?’.

This cheeky little monkey loves nothing more than playing fetch, eating lots of treats and receiving lots of belly rubs. His favourite place in the world is the beach, although he thinks he owns the place once he gets there!

He is such an inspiration with how he gets on with his life and adapts to everything in his path no problem. More recently, throughout this pandemic he has been a true star. Things were so strange, but getting out every morning for a long walk with Bob really helped me through it all. I can’t say the same for the poor little guy though, he couldn’t wait for me to stop working from home so he could enjoy his naps uninterrupted!

Missie is a constant source of cuddles and support for everyone in River’s family

I always refer to Missie as an angel sent from heaven, as she’s provided life-saving therapy for both my dad and me, throughout our mental health struggles.

Missie is the most loving dog I’ve ever known. She always wants to say hello to every human she meets, although she’s wary of other dogs. She’s such a family dog – wherever we are in the house she has to be there too, even the bathroom! She always likes to be touching a part of you to know you’re close. If she’s not on your lap, she’ll place a paw on your arm or her head on your feet.

Missie is the most loving dog I’ve ever known

Her favourite toy is her tennis ball, which is affectionately called ‘Ballie’ – we’ve actually been through multiple, but shh! Her favourite activity is playing fetch with it on the beach, but she also likes to take Ballie with her to bed and cuddle up with it.

I am beyond thankful for our loving, healing girl Missie, and I want to give her the biggest treat she deserves.

Since she came into their lives eight years ago, Piper has caused more than her fair share of mayhem in Deborah’s household

When I was volunteering to walk rescue dogs, I came across this lovely little white Boxer. I fell in love with her, brought her home and called her Piper. She came into our lives as my oldest girl was about to join the army, so she’s been a very welcome and crazy distraction in the eight years we’ve had her.

In that time, she has destroyed three air fryers by knocking them down and stealing the food. She has stolen beetroots, courgettes, carrots. She has eaten five people’s worth of spag bol, escaped from a secure field, and refused for 24 hours to come downstairs!

She’s definitely kept us on our toes, but we love her so much

Her ultimate crime was on Christmas Day 2013. My daughter was home on leave from the army, and we were just sitting down for breakfast when Piper began to choke. She had swallowed a large knotted raw hide bone whole and lengthways, and she was foaming at the mouth and collapsing.

We rang the local vet who put her under and tried to remove the bone but no joy. We had to take her to Newmarket, with specialists holding her head in position to help her breathe. It was a two-hour journey, and when we arrived she was taken straight in for surgery. My daughter and I were still in our pyjamas, looking for somewhere to wait. We ended up in a pub cooking lunch for the homeless, where they fed and watered us.

Five hours later, the bone was removed, and Piper stayed there for the night. When we drove back on Boxing Day, she bounced out of the vets. We were told to keep her quiet for 48 hours. Within 10 minutes of arriving back home in Great Yarmouth, she was bouncing on the kids’ trampoline!

This dog has definitely kept us on our toes, but we love her so much. Have a Boxer they said, it will be fun they said...

Millie’s confidence has grown considerably since Dawn rescued her, and now she’s even supporting the newest addition to the family – another rescue dog called Basil

We rescued Millie from Bosnia in June 2020. She was a poor frightened girl who had never been in a house or had any love, and she was destined for the kill shelter.

We had to house train her, give her space, build up her trust with us and teach her to walk with a harness. After six months and lots of memorable moments, she finally blossomed into the most loving, loyal and happy dog.

She brings joy to our lives every day. We walk on the beach and go to nature reserves, coffee shops and cafés. Everyone knows her and she even has her own Facebook page with her brother Basil, who we adopted from Budapest six months after Millie.

She dug up a WWII bomb in our garden

Millie has been Basil’s mentor. He had been badly abused and she has taught him to play and trust other dogs and humans. She puts her paw on his head when he’s anxious and wraps her front legs around him when he’s scared.

Since coming into our lives, Millie has gone swimming in our pond with the fish (who were not impressed). She has dug up a WWII bomb in our garden which resulted in the bomb disposal unit being called out. She has caught a blackbird in her mouth without hurting it, and now they are best of friends. She has rearranged the garden, dug up plants, buried our shoes and climbed the trees to steal bird food.

When we go on holidays together, Millie and Basil come with us, even when we are playing in our band. Our world is a much better place with them in it.

Kelly wasn’t sure she was ready for another dog – that is, until Charlie bounded into her life.

Charlie came into our lives unexpectedly, after a text came through from a family member who knew how upset I was after losing my dog Bella. Lockdown was tough enough and without my sidekick, I was struggling.

Cute and cheeky Charlie

A change of circumstances meant Charlie faced the prospect of going back to the kennels, which was unideal seeing as he’d been through rescue centre twice already. He came for a visit one Friday night, just for a trial run – and he hasn't left since!

Initially we didn’t feel ready for another dog, but as soon as we saw him, we knew instantly that cute and cheeky Charlie was meant to be a part of our family. He’s so full of love and character, and such a happy dog.

Rose doesn’t get away with much when Finn’s around, but that’s what makes him so adorable

My Border Collie Finn never fails to make me smile. He adores the TV and will watch any animal programme, but he especially loves adverts with animals in them. As soon as one comes on, he’ll grab one of his many toys and start prancing around in front of the screen, barking loudly.

Finn seems to have an internal clock

Finn seems to have an internal clock, and he always gets restless around his mealtimes. If you miss the mark, he’ll badger you until you feed him! He also knows when I usually go to bed and will often sit and stare at me when it’s around that time, as if he’s saying goodnight.

He’s so funny and makes us laugh every single day, like when he tries to avoid puddles on our walks by doing a little sidestep dance, or when he helps his dad out with the gardening by doing some digging.