Recent months have been tough for Tracey, but with Bryce by her side, she can get through anything

Bryce is my best friend. He is profoundly deaf like me and so we share a very special bond – he even seems to understand all the signs I’ve taught him.

My dog has been a fantastic companion

He has a crazy sense of humour, and snores so loudly he gets a fright and wakes himself up! My dog has been a fantastic companion to me, especially recently. As everyone’s been wearing masks, it’s meant I can’t lipread and this has left me feeling more isolated than usual. Staying at home and relaxing in the garden with my furry companion has given me the boost I need to get through.

Both Jo and her daughter feel eternally grateful for the happiness Oreo has brought into their lives

Oreo is an absolute pleasure to share our lives with. She recently lost her best friend Willow, a Bernese Mountain Dog, and it has taken her a good six months to get back to being her usual happy self.

Love certainly is a wet nose, slobbery kisses and a wagging tail

She’s my daughter’s best friend and they are inseparable. The bond between them is beautiful and we struggle to imagine what life will be like without her. We know that as a giant breed she’s now an old lady, but the joy she brings us all is beyond words.

We feel truly honoured to have Oreo in our lives and we treasure every day we spend with her. Love certainly is a wet nose, slobbery kisses and a wagging tail.

Jet helped Sue and her family heal after the loss of their beloved Banjo, and now he’s like an older brother to their two younger Whippets

Jet came to us with his brother Rebel via Whippet Rescue. We had recently lost our much-loved whippet, Banjo, at the age of three to an awful brain disease. We were heartbroken.

A few weeks after Banjo’s death, we received a phone call asking if we would consider adopting the two brothers. Their owner had become unwell and was no longer able to care for them. They were being passed around family members, none of whom wanted them. We thought long and hard for at least thirty seconds and said we would love them.

Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack

When we picked them up, every bone was visible. They were sunburnt, their ears were like old leather, and they were scared and bewildered. Over the next few weeks, we healed each other. They filled the enormous void left by our beloved Banjo, and we lavished them with good food and lots of TLC. They spent hours relaxing in the garden, and as they became more confident and settled, they helped out by digging and running all over the beds – but we didn’t mind.

We started taking them out in the car and they became firm favourites at our local National Trust property. They also loved trips to the beach as there was so much space to run. Sadly, we lost Rebel to kidney failure in March this year. However, Jet was not left alone as we had adopted a Whippet Bedlington Terrier cross called Reg in 2022.

At the end of May this year, we also had a message from a friend saying there was another Whippet in need, and she knew we had a ‘vacancy’, so Sam came to join us. Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack and keeps an eye on Reg and Sam.

Eve always knew Finley was cheeky, but she didn’t realise how cheeky until she found out what he’d been getting up to every time she went to work

Finley is as sweet as a dog could get. We have had such an amazing bond since the day he was born. He is so loyal, cheeky and playful – I really don’t know what I would do without him.

I live at home with my family and we have always had a strict ‘no dogs upstairs’ rule in place, but recently that has become a little lax. Finley loves nothing more than being upstairs and sleeping on the end of my bed. Though I have to say, the 6am wake up calls from him laying on my chest and wagging his tail so hard he could almost take off aren’t always appreciated!

He was taking underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa

I work alternating day and night shifts, so whenever I’m not there Finley would look around my room for me and have a general sniff around. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing.

It turns out every time I wasn’t there, Finley was taking a set of underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa. One night I came home earlier than expected, and when I walked upstairs there was Finley with the guiltiest look on his face and a pair of knickers in his mouth.

I asked for them back and he just RAN. At 3am, this is the last thing I wanted to do, but there I was chasing Finley round the house whilst trying to be as quiet as possible. He was in his element. And it’s safe to say, I now put the lid on my washing basket!

Zoe’s dog Kes makes the world a happier place with his assistance skills and infectious happiness

Kes is my little hearing dog-in-training. I got him just eight days after I sent off my last trainee as a fully qualified assistance dog, and boy did he arrive with a bang! He’s a gorgeous chocolate Cocker with big, innocent eyes, but don’t let that fool you – really, he’s a crazy bundle of energy who keeps me on my toes every day.

He’s also a notorious sock thief

From the minute he wakes me up to the moment he goes to bed he’s causing mischief. He’s also a notorious sock thief. Kes will take them off the airer, radiator or even out of the washing machine as I unload it! He also adores being in the water, whether that means swimming, river splashing, jumping in muddy puddles or even just dipping his nose in his water bowl.

Kes is the friendliest dog alive. When you come downstairs or through the front door, he greets you like you’ve been gone forever. It’s adorable, the way he starts wiggling and wagging his tail with excitement. His love for life is contagious. I’ve never met a happier, crazier dog and I think the world of him. I just wish I could bottle up his energy and drink some!

Atlas has been Jacqui’s rock, helping her recover from a breakup and supporting her family during difficult times

At the start of 2021 I was really anxious. I was working from a friend’s house and saw the advert for him. I called and he had already gone. He was advertised to a good home because Atlas is a deaf Dalmatian.

I had a call nearly a week later to say he was still available and to come and get him. I didn’t tell my now boyfriend and we drove for an hour to get him. I had moved back to my parents and didn’t tell them either.

We couldn’t be without him now

Since getting Atlas I’ve not been anxious. I’m so happy and feel so positive and I know he needs my love, time and patience. He’s very loving and clever and adores my nieces. My family love him and we couldn’t be without him now.

We have nicknamed him The Pickle! I don’t even know where we got the name from. He is also a great companion to my dad, who just had a cateract operation and is undergoing cancer testing, and keeps him amused. He really is the dog we never thought we’d need.