Hank has been mostly blind for his whole life, but he inspires Paige and her family every day with his unwaveringly upbeat personality

At a very young age, we discovered Hank was partially blind, with very little to no sight. Hanks has had multiple operations to attempt to correct his vision and many, many vet visits over his short life. He’s faced all his challenges head on, with resilience and positivity, and his tail is constantly wagging.

He makes us proud every day with how far he has come

Hank has exceeded all the expectations that we had for him. He loves his Wainwright walks off-lead, he loves to swim in the water and play with all his other doggy friends. He’s allowed us to see that no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome it with the right mindset and be just like everyone else.

He makes us proud every day with how far he has come and what a lovely natured boy he’s been throughout it all. He is a firm favourite at his vets, with the nurses continuously complimenting him on his outlook on life. He has quite a fan base! On our bad days, Hank allows us to see the positivity and keeps us going.

Donna is so proud of how Ozzy Dawg looks out for everyone, particularly her son Alfie

Ozzy Dawg is best friends with my seven-year-old son, Alfie. We’ve been puppy parents for Hounds for Heroes over the years and have looked afterthree pups so far. Ozzy Dawg has taken each one under his watchful command and taught them how to behave in the woods and park.

Ozzy Dawg has taken each one under his watchful command

He also keeps Alife safe too, looking out for him and making sure he’s ok. They have a very special bond!

After spending her whole childhood wishing for a dog, Kate finally got Daisy, and she’s brought nothing but love into her life

For my whole life, I wanted a dog but, despite my protests, my parents never gave in. When I went to visit Daisy, the first thing she did was climb onto me and steal my keys. The breeder and I spent ages trying to get them off her but, being the cheeky madam she is, she was not giving in! In that moment I knew the little monster was mine.

I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm

Daisy is the most loving dog, although she does have an independent streak. She absolutely loves other people – I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm. When I worked in a girl’s boarding house with children from across the world, she was a lot better at soothing them when they were sad than I was.

Daisy has no dramatic story. She doesn’t know many tricks and she isn’t the most obedient (unless very good treats are on offer!) but I love her to pieces and can’t imagine life without her.

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.

Sandra will be forever grateful to her dog Maxi, who gave her daughter Ella a reason to smile again

Maxi became a member of our family when she was just six months old. We’d decided to get a dog as my daughter Ella was being bullied at school, and as an only child we knew she needed a new type of best friend. We found Maxi in a rescue centre. She was gentle and adorable with Ella from the moment they met, and so full of fun. The way Ella’s facelights up whenever she sees Maxi brings us endless joy.

She was gentle and adorable with Ella

Maxi loves food, especially roast chicken, but she also grazes the grass like a sheep. She is a dream off the lead, and although she’s friendly with all the other dogs and people she meets, she sees squirrels and are cats as her nemesis! She came into our lives at a perfect time, and we all love her to pieces. She helped Ella’s confidence to grow, and for that we will always be grateful.

Whether she’s stealing tea towels or picking up things they drop, Zayat is always making Mandy and her family laugh with her cheeky antics

Zayat is such a character. She does so many funny things, and always makes us laugh. She’s also very clever, so if we drop anything, even if it’s tiny, she’ll find it, put it between her lips and look at us. Then we’ll ask her ‘what’ve you got?’, and she finally spits it out so we can see what it is.

We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher

We can hide anything, say ‘go find it’ and she would sniff it out. She often understands what we’re saying, so she knows people by name, and can read our body language. If we need cheering up, Zayat will always make us feel better.

She loves to take our socks off and our hats. We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher as she will steal the tea towel at any opportunity. We don't even realise she’s taken it as she does it so craftily, then she runs off with it so proudly. Life would be very dull without Zayat – she’s a one off!