Dougie is the dog that Carol has always wanted, and together, they have endless adventures and hours of fun

I’d wanted a puppy for as long as I could remember, but it was never the right time for me to get one. Then one day, Dougie the rescue dog bounded into my life, and the rest is history.

He was actually six years old when I first met him, but his playful nature made it feel as though he was a lot younger. He really is a dream, because I get to enjoy all the good parts about having an energetic dog, without the work of looking after a young puppy!

It’s been so lovely to watch how happy he’s become

Dougie was pretty stressed when we first brought him home, but he’s settled in well over time. He had never been taken out much before, and so we got to do a lot of ‘firsts’ with him. So far, we’ve taken him to the beach, the river, on holiday and even on a boat. It’s been so lovely to watch how happy he’s become.

His favourite place is by far the beach. He enjoys nothing more than rolling around in the sand, so much so that we’ve even got him his own sandpit to play in at home. He’s not so sure about water and tends to sit and bark at the sea – though I think he’s making progress, and I’m sure that soon he’ll want to splash around and go for a paddle.

Sabina’s husband didn’t want a dog, but then Buckley came into their lives and changed everything for the better

After many years of begging my husband for a dog, he finally relented. He always said if we were to get a dog, it would have to be a Jack Russell. I didn't argue! Buckley was like a wrecking ball. He moved in and stole our hearts.

I'm still working full time and my husband is retired. Little did I know what my boys were up to while I was at work. Now, thanks to my dearest husband, Buckley will only eat if he's fed with a fork! When his food is in his bowl, he’ll nudge one of us until we get up and feed him. If we ignore him, he gives us a pretend nip and vocally argues until we feed him. I was furious with my husband, but alas, what’s done is done.

Buckley has brought so much love and fun to our lives. He’s a very active doggy and goes out on adventures four or five times a day. He loves riding in my car and will push his nose out of the window for some fresh air – while strapped to his booster seat, of course.

Buckley also loves the ladies. In fact, he can be very amorous, to the point where most female dogs will run away while he's left howling like a wolf. He also loves mucky puddles, and he’s a regular snorkeler. He blows bubbles in the puddles, then tries to catch them while I stand in the rain, wet through.

I’m a nurse and the last three years have been extremely stressful. I also lost my dad in April last year and was unable to attend the funeral. Buckley has really helped me and my family through these rough times. No matter what I'm feeling on any given day, coming home to him makes everything better. I truly believe he was meant to be ours! And I wouldn't change him for the world.

Coming home to him makes everything better

After years of living as a stray in Cyprus, Zola has finally found her forever home with Annabel, and now she’s blossoming into the dog she was always meant to be

I adopted Zola, a German Shorthaired Pointer, on 2nd May this year. She was found as a stray in Cyprus, rescued and looked after in a shelter for about two months until she was well enough to travel to the UK.

She has settled really well in the time she has been here, and I have just started very basic training with her as she was completely untrained. She has definitely come out of her shy, anxious shell and is showing her cheeky, funny, very affectionate character. She is a puppy in a 9-year-old body as she's probably never enjoyed a puppyhood before.

Adopting a neglected, abandoned dog is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done

She loves anything fluffy, especially if she's not supposed to have it, like my slippers and the dog coats I’m knitting for rescue shelters, for example. She pokes her nose in any open drawer or cupboard and loves to grab and run – she is particularly drawn to silicone baking containers for some bizarre reason.

Zola is starting to bond with our other two adopted German Shorthaired Pointers, 9-year-old Baxter and 12-year-old Danny, who’s also a Cyprus rescue. She loves food, food and more food, playing with toys, stealing Danny's tennis balls and doing anything naughty.

She makes me laugh every day and drives me demented from running around saving items from being chewed, but gives me so much love in return. Adopting a neglected, abandoned dog and giving them a loving forever home is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done, and seeing them blossom into the dogs they should have always been is priceless.

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.

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...

Looking after Molly hasn’t always been easy, but Nicola has nothing but unconditional love for her

Molly came into our life a year ago and changed it forever. My husband and I had been volunteering at a lovely dog rescue charity called SHAK, where Molly was a favourite. She had been living there for three years and had already had four homes before she came to us.

She is a Husky Akita cross who suffers from separation anxiety alongside reactivity to other dogs, so she isn’t the most easygoing dog in the world. That doesn’t stop her from being really caring and affectionate though, and she absolutely adores people.

She absolutely adores people

When she first came home, she found it quite difficult to adjust. My husband had to sleep downstairs with her every night because she was so anxious. But now, a year later, she is so much better. She still has her anxieties, but that’s what makes her who she is and we wouldn’t change her for the world.

Molly comes with us whenever we volunteer at SHAK to visit all of her old friends and spread some hope. We couldn’t love her anymore.