Patrizia and her sister may not know Bonnie’s history, but one thingthey are sure of is her wonderful personality

My twin sister and I already had two dogs in our family when we recently decided to foster another. She’s called Bonnie and she’s just seven months old. We got her from a charity called Underdog, who rescued her from Romania.

Loves making new friends

We don’t know her breed but whenever we go out people love to guess. Most seem to think she’s some sort of Husky, Lurcher and Terrier mix, but the jury’s still out on that one!

Bonnie has something of a sheepdog mentality, and always tries to herd other dogs together. She’s so sociable and loves making new friends. During the day she’s crazy and energetic, but as soon as it gets dark, she loves nothing more than crashing out and curling up on our laps.

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!

Whether he’s sunbathing, sleeping or showering her with good morning kisses, Ozzie has brought joy to every part of Abby’s life

I have struggled with my mental health for as long as I can remember, and nothing has done more for me than Ozzie. From the minute I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, he brings me so much joy.

Oz is a retired racing Greyhound and, after a lot of training, he's now got great recall and is allowed off lead. Nothing makes me happier than seeing his smiling face as he goes hurtling past me at 40mph with his helicopter tail spinning at full force.

Every morning I wake up to him in my bed (all 100lbs of him). As soon as he hears me say ‘Good morning!’, he attacks me with kisses and throws himself into the cockroach position so I can rub his belly.

From the minute I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, he brings me so much joy

He's obsessed with sunbathing, just like me, and will do it at any opportunity. Two degrees outside? As long as the sun’s, out Oz will be on his sun lounger soaking it up. Out for a walk? Who needs exercise when you can sunbathe!

One of his favourite ways to show affection is by ‘nitting’, where he uses just his front teeth to nibble at me when I'm stroking him. His favourite game is ‘smacky bum’ where I tap his bum like bongos and we chase each other round in circles.

Ozzie goes into a deep sleep about 50 times a day, usually with his mouth agape, tongue hanging out and legs twitching (presumably chasing cats in his dreams). I also suffer from endometriosis and whenever I'm having a flare up, he just knows. He sticks to me like velcro and follows me everywhere.

I could sit and write about him forever. He really is my best friend and has changed my life more than he'll ever know. He gives me a reason to get out of bed each day. I love Oz more than anything and would be totally lost without him.

Flossie never leaves Hannah’s side, even on her wedding day and honeymoon!

My dog Flossie is my fur baby. She comes absolutely everywhere with me and my husband, including our wedding six months ago. Flossie was the guest of honour and made our day even more special.

We also took her on our honeymoon to the Lake District, where we had lots of fun adventures together, from climbing hills to riding a steam train.

She was the guest of honour at our wedding

Flossie’s favourite thing in the world is socks – she will sneak upstairs and have a good rummage through the washing pile until she finds one. She then proceeds to bury her sock treasure in any blanket or cushion she can find. If you leave a sock somewhere, it’s fair game!

Flossie recently celebrated her fourth birthday. The above photo is from her annual birthday photoshoot. There are more photos of Flossie in our phones than anything else – I’m sure all dog owners can relate!

When Bonnie was injured, Marnie-Jaine couldn’t stop worrying about her wellbeing – but Eevee soon bounded into their lives and made everything better.

Eevee is a Springer Spaniel who came into our lives last year. She filled a hole we didn't even know we had with her adorable ways, which include falling asleep with a tennis ball in her mouth. She even helps me with my anxiety attacks.

Eevee loves Bonnie

One day, before we got Eevee, we were outside with our other dog Bonnie, a (then) eight-year-old Rough Coated Collie. She was over the field chasing her ball and running around, when all of a sudden fell to the ground. After taking her to the vets, we found out she’d ruptured her tendon and there wasn’t much the vet could do. We were told she would be able to walk again, but that she’d have a limp. During this time, Bonnie was clearly in pain and began to withdraw from us, spending all her time alone.

When we got Eevee a few months later, Bonnie was still struggling and hardly putting any weight onto her leg. Eevee loves Bonnie, and so kept making her play with her regardless of her protests – tug of war, rough and tumble, you name it, they played all day long. This meant Bonnie started strengthening her leg, and within a few months she was walking around again without a limp. Best of all, she had returned to her happy, outgoing self.

Sarah knows she can always rely on her loyal friend Rembrandt to keep her out of harm’s way

I'm disabled and suffer from sudden falls and vertigo. From a very early age, Rembrandt has been my constant companion. My partner is the one who walks him, trains him and plays boisterous games with him, but it's me Rembrandt sticks with like glue.

It’s me he sticks with like glue

On the occasions when I've had a fall, he’s sat with me until help has arrived and is super attentive, almost like he's making sure that I'm ok. Of course, like any Labrador puppy, he loves playing and enjoys a game of ‘splashy splashy’ in his paddling pool when it’s warm, as well as playing fetch with his older brother Peewee.

Rembrandt is such a character. He’ll devour anything that’s edible, and even some things that aren’t, including the sofa cushions and the skirting board! Both of his parents are search dogs, so when we can, we’ll enroll him into puppy school where he’ll learn to be a great sniffer dog.