Ever since Elaine adopted Cisco a couple of years ago, he has grown from a nervous rescue into a loving, playful dog

Cisco is an Ibizan Hound cross. He was in a rescue centre in Spain, where he was handed in by a hunter, and then he was moved here to the UK. He was very fearful to begin with, and he still often gets unsettled by people he doesn't know.

It has been an honour to build a bond with Cisco

It has been an honour to build a bond with Cisco and gain his trust over the two years since we adopted him. He loves cuddles and lying against us. His personality has blossomed, and he’s become a goofy character at times. He pads his paws on the spot when he’s excited and can appear like a cartoon character.

He still finds the world scary sometimes, but he has shown so much resilience. He’s also always been a gentle boy and never reacted in an aggressive way, even when he’s frightened.

After Christine’s traumatic car accident, Jasper was exactly what she needed during her recovery

I am a strong believer that things happen for a reason. In November 2015, I was driving home on the motorway when, all of a sudden, I was involved in a horrendous accident.

An HGV collided with my car, and I was dragged side-on down the motorway. I was extremely lucky to have walked away without any broken bones. However, I suffered from PTSD and severe anxiety from the trauma.

He helped me to get out the house and overcome my anxiety

Around that time, my partner's dog had a litter of pups. From the get-go, Jasper was drawn to me and I to him – we were like magnets. I loved him so much. He’s so caring and helped me to get out the house and overcome my anxiety.

Today, he’s still my 'cuddle puppy,' and I now also have his daughter. Both of them bring so much joy to my life and I am so grateful to have them.

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.

Patsy is a girl who knows what she wants, and Rose wouldn’t have it any other way!

Patsy was two when we adopted her from Bath Cats and Dogs Home. She had just had a litter of pups and was handed in. She was tiny, seemed so scared and frail, and we were nervous taking her home. We were so wrong! She walked in, took the bone out of our other dog Eddie’s mouth, pushed him out of his bed and made herself at home. She treated Eddie like her puppy and still does.

Over the months it was clear that Patsy hadn't had the best start. House training was a nightmare, she couldn't walk far as she had little muscle and very cracked pads, she was also scared of walking sticks, but loved people. Six years on and she is so different. She’s much more confident and a local favourite! Patsy loves people and loves a cuddle, and everyone is willing to oblige.

She is our family and we love her

She loves Eddie and still cleans his face every day – even though we don’t think he actually likes it he still lets her do it. Some days she won’t walk, some days it’s like walking a bag of potatoes, but as soon as she’s in the woods, she comes alive! Exploring, chasing squirrels and having fun. And, although she’s not built for swimming (her body to leg ratio is not great) she loves the water and will always paddle in streams and loves a beach trip.

She is getting old, has terrible wind, snores like a steam train and is stubborn like I’ve never known before, but she is our family and we love her. She’s great for a cuddle on the sofa and the comedy value is priceless.

Lily is a bit of a character, but Jacquie wouldn’t have it any other way

Lily is my everyday hero, and she has been ever since my husband John and I got her as a rescue 10 years ago from Border Terrier Welfare.

She’s slowed down a bit now, but still loves life – walking regularly each morning, scrounging as many treats as she can and chasing away cats from the garden.

She loves visitors and welcomes them with licks

When we got her, only three weeks had passed since we lost our old Border Terrier. We were so distraught, but her unconditional love soon melted our hearts.

At first, Lily was a bit of a mischief. She used to love destroying toys! We even had to get an outside letterbox, because she’d grab any letters through the post-box, run off with them and then destroy them if given half the chance.

She loves visitors and welcomes them with licks as kisses. She’s made lots of friends over the years and has won photo competitions, too. I could go on forever!

As her son’s hearing support dog, Anya has given Norma’s family a peace of mind they thought they’d never have.

Anya is a sensitive, loving and intelligent Golden Cocker Spaniel who has been a part of our lives for five years now. She gives every family member their own special attention, but as my son’s hearing support dog, she’s also his best friend. Every morning she starts her day by jumping on his bed, trying to dig him out from under his duvet!

Offering more than just hearing support, Anya also provides him with unconditional love and friendship. She calls him down for dinner by entering his room, nudging him with her wet, black nose and then leading him downstairs. It’s very comforting to know that she’s always there to protect him, especially when he’s asleep at night. If the smoke alarm goes off, for example, she can wake him up and alert him to the danger.

She’ll be there to protect him

 Anya loves her walks and, as a typical Spaniel, she loves to sniff out fox poo! Her favourite human foods are sausages and cheese – if you ever eat them in front of her, she always looks at you with the biggest brown eyes, trying to get you to share them. She also adores playing frisbee, always running after it and bringing it back for us to throw again.

She’s our first dog, and every day we are thankful for the love and support she gives us. Suffering from hearing loss can sometimes mean that people shy away from you, but with Anya around people are actually drawn to us.

When I look at her asleep on the sofa, I understand why dogs like to sleep a lot – it’s because when they’re awake, they devote all of their energy to looking after their humans.