Fudge has been a loving and reliable companion for Lesley following her sudden family loss

Four years ago in September, I suddenly lost my dad to cancer. We didn’t know he had it until a few days before he passed away. I was very close to him and often helped with his shopping, cleaning and gardening. Losing him was a really big shock and it left me in quite a dark place.

He’s always by my side when I’m feeling low

After this happened, my husband suggested that we get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as I’ve been wanting one for years. So, on my birthday in December, we got Fudge! He’s been amazing and he’s always by my side when I’m feeling low. We named him Fudge because when my dad was ill, all he wanted to eat was original fudge! When trying to think of a name for him, it was the perfect choice to remember him by.

Lena the sassy pup has filled Katie’s life with love and laughter.

Rescued from Romania, where she was attacked as a tiny pup, Lena just lights up my life every minute. Left with facial deformities, she is my little snorting hyena.

She is my little snorting hyena

Seeing how far she has come in the (almost) two years since I adopted her gives me such a sense of happiness. She has given me a purpose and something to care for when, at times, I can feel like I am not worth much.

Filled with so much sassiness and energy, she is (in my eyes) the best, purest gremlin ever.

Eleven months ago, Chance and his siblings were found abandoned in a park, but the love and care of Lauren and her colleagues has transformed him into a happy, healthy pup!

Chance was found in a park with his four litter mates at just a day old. They were dumped in a cardboard box and left for dead!

A lovely member of the public brought them in to the vets where I work, and the whole team rallied together to hand-rear the five puppies. This involved lots of feeds, throughout the day and night, whilst also doing our jobs.

He was found in a park with his four litter mates at just a day old

It was touch and go as to whether they would survive or grow into normal dogs as they didn’t have the influence of their mum, who would normally teach them a lot of life lessons.

But Chance is 11 months old now and he’s absolutely huge. He’s coming on so well with his training! He has lots of little quirks, like he has to bring something to show you when he greets you. He LOVES people and dogs, especially children, and he knows quite a few party tricks, including ‘commando’ where he crawls along the floor like an army man.

Rach fell under Archer’s love spell as soon as she set sight on him, and now he is a happy part of her family.

We wanted a dog to share our adventures with and to explore new places. We had our heart set on a blue Great Dane, and when we met him as a puppy, we knew he was the one for us. With an arrowhead shaped white patch on his chest, we called him Archer and he’s been a fantastic addition to our furry family.

We knew he was the one for us

He shares his sofa with his feline brother and sister and shows his gentle side with them. He helped me through a mental breakdown and gave me something to focus on during my recovery. He really is a gentle giant, and always gets showered with attention wherever he goes, putting on the charm and snuffling out snuggles with everyone he meets.

Debbie welcomed Trooper into her home when no one else would, and he’s given her many years of love and support in return

We rehomed Trooper from Dogs Trust Glasgow when he was 18 months old, and he’s going to be 10 in March. He was first dropped off there when he was only three weeks old, then he was in and out until we met him. The first thing we saw was his cheeky face jumping up and down in his kennel. After that, we became his fifth owners.

It was no surprise to find out that he has ADHD and is OBSESSED with balls, but he has an absolute heart of gold and just wants to be loved. He’s always smiling, even after his rough start in life.

He also really helped me in 2022. My dad had to get a below the knee amputation in May, then my gran got diagnosed with eye melanoma and had to have her eye removed in August. Sadly, she passed away in November. Throughout all of this, Trooper was by my side.

He always knew if I was struggling and as soon as he saw me cry, he would come straight over, climb onto the sofa and cuddle into me. I wish I was like Trooper. He doesn’t let anything get him down and is ALWAYS happy and ready to play.

He’s always smiling, even after his rough start in life

Alexandra knew that getting a dog might help her, but she could never have predicted how much joy and companionship Freddie would offer

Freddie has saved me. I suffer with anxiety and panic attacks, which got particularly bad last year. I knew getting a dog wouldn’t ‘fix’ me but I also knew that for some people, having a dog can be a source of comfort.

It’s safe to say Freddie has been my saviour – he truly lights up my world every single day. He’s got such a big personality that everyone always comments on how ‘human’ he is.

Freddie has been my saviour

Freddie likes to chat, so he’ll howl at me whenever I talk to him. Every morning and every time I come home after being out, he makes this cute little growl – I’m sure it’s his way of telling me he loves me.