With Christine’s help, Freddie has gone from being terrified of humans to living a happy, healthy life

I took Freddie in when he was 13 months old. He’d been through a bad time somewhere. He’d obviously been hit or beaten, as he’d almost go through the floor if you so much as raised a hand, even to comb your hair.

He wouldn’t go to anyone, and it took two weeks to get him used to living in the house and accepting my husband. He was frightened of everything, even a peg dropping. In his view, it was best to avoid people wherever possible. But he loved his tennis ball. I kept asking men to play ball with him and this worked well. He would take the ball back to them, which was a great improvement. Then I got shingles, and we couldn’t go out, so now I need to start socialising him again.

He’s a joy to live with

Freddie actually came to me about six or seven weeks after I lost my friend Monty. I wasn’t in a good place, but Freddie helped me through that rough patch. He’s a joy to live with, although he does love to chew through his rope toys.

He sneaks into the bedroom in the early hours and ends up sleeping on the bed. He has this thing about sitting in front of me with his front paws on my lap and looking at me with those big brown eyes, which makes me melt. He’ll soon be two years old, and I can start working with him again.

When Peter first brought him home, Ace was a little uncertain about life with his new family – but he soon settled right in.

We rescued Ace from a British-run dog home out in Cyprus. He was a street dog and had been found by a lovely Cypriot family, after being shot and left for dead by an unknown person. They took him to a vet who had to remove multiple pellets, and it was touch and go for a while. Luckily, he recovered well and they cared for him until he was fit and healthy. Then, they took him to the dog home so that he could find his forever family.

When Ace finally arrived in the UK, he was hungry, tired and scared after his long journey, but bribing him with some cooked chicken helped me to win him over! I brought him home and in the morning he met our two young children for the first time – and he was terrified. It took him a few days to venture out of his dog crate.

He now adores the children and his new home

After a month of being loved and treated like the prince that he is, Ace became braver and started going on walks with my wife and I when the kids were in bed. Almost two years on and he now adores the children and his new home with our family. We take him on lots of walks around the village, as well as further afield. He is a very loving and devoted dog, who likes nothing more than to snuggle on the sofa where he falls asleep instantly, snoring like a freight train!

He was named Ace by our eldest, who’s a six-year-old superhero fan. Apparently, in the original comics, Batman had a rescue dog named Ace! A perfect name for our perfect dog.

Mark’s dog Dobby has many quirky habits that bring his family endless joy

Dobby is a Whippet and Italian greyhound cross who always makes us laugh. He enjoys stealing people’s socks, running very fast around Chesterracecourse and pinching our toast, but what he loves most is climbing intothe basket of warm washing after it has been tumble dried.

He enjoys stealing people’s socks

He has made a real difference to our family life during the pandemic. My daughter has always wanted a dog and he has provided her so much comfort over the last six months, helping her to get out and exercise and stay positive. He can be a little over enthusiastic at times, but that’s just part of his charm.

Last year, Linda decided to adopt a deaf puppy as a companion for Tamia, and the pair have been best friends ever since

Tamia came to live with us just over two years ago. We love having her and she goes just about everywhere with us – camping, events, markets etc.

We always felt she was missing out on a doggy companion. Then last autumn, her breeder told us she had a deaf puppy and she needed to find the right home for him. When Tamia met him, they adored each other from the start.

They are both trained using sign language. They play, travel and are generally inseparable. She is his ears and looks out for him. When we need to recall him in the field, we ask her to find him, and she brings him back. They are the most beautiful pair, and she’s the best big sister a deaf pup could have.

She’s the best big sister a deaf pup could have

Chantel wasn’t prepared for how much she would love Xiaoxiao, and now he’s always on-hand to comfort her, support her son, and even groom her cats

Xiaoxiao (pronounced chowchow) was a street dog in China. He was rescued and adopted by me in October 2019. He’s slightly wonky so he can’t walk massive distances.

On the first night he came to me, he put his arms around my neck and just wouldn’t stop licking me. He spent that night asleep on my bed in my arms, and he’s slept there ever since.

I suffer from a few mental health conditions which affect my moods severely. Xiaoxiao always knows what I need in every moment. If I am angry or sad, he will sit next to me and lick me, then put himself on my lap to cuddle.

He is always by my side everywhere I go

He is always by my side everywhere I go, no matter what. Xiaoxiao has a thing about my socks. When I come home, I have to give him my socks or he will literally try and take them off my feet! He often plays with my cats as well – they run around together, and he helps groom them.

My son is currently on the road to being diagnosed with autism and Xiaoxiao is so good with him. If he is having a bad day, Xiaoxiao will sit with him, just letting my son stroke him while he calms down.

When I rescued Xiaoxiao, I had no idea how special he would be to me. Nothing I do doesn’t involve him. He came camping last summer for four days in Dartmoor, which he loved. We walked for miles, spent the nights in a tent on the moor and had the most amazing time.

Maya has been the driving force behind many significant milestones in Katie’s life, from learning to drive to buying her first flat

Maya is the light of my life. I had wanted a dog for years, but my landlords had a strict no pet policy, which led to me saving to buy my first flat. Fast forward to June 2017, and I had been in the flat for just one week when I went to the local dog rescue centre for a ‘look around’. I was introduced to Maya, a three-year-old Brindle Lurcher who had been there over three months. We took her into a field and even though she was off lead, she walked so close to heel that her feet were catching the back of my sandals.

It was love at first sight and she came home the next day. From day one, me and Maya had an inexplicable bond. I couldn’t drive when I got her, but taking her on public transport was tricky as she was quite large and nervous. So, I learnt to drive and bought my first car, all for her. In 2019, we decided we absolutely needed a garden to relax in. So, once again motivated by my love for Maya, I sold up and bought a house with a garden.

She is the best decision I have ever made

Maya has now been with me for five years, and without doubt, she is the best decision I have ever made. During the pandemic, she was my friend, my confidant, my dance partner, my reason to go outside, my zoom quiz partner, my bubble. She's lazy, so I'm lucky to get her out of bed before 11am some days. And she's a dawdler, so I spend 90% of our walks waiting for her to catch up. She's also a fuss pot and she won't eat her biscuits for days on end, but will happily scoff a six day old sausage roll that she finds on the floor.

Maya wouldn't hurt a fly, so her sighthound skills leave a lot to be desired. She walks straight past rabbits without a care in the world and wakes me up crying at 2am if there is a spider. She was once backed into a corner in my friend’s kitchen by a three-legged cat with no tail. All of these gorgeous and hilarious quirks make her the little individual that she is, and more importantly, make me the luckiest person alive.