Grief is an overwhelming thing. But, by simply being by her side, Hero has been an invaluable source of comfort for Julie.

Hero, a rescue dog, came into my life after my husband died. I took him in initially to be part of the family and to train up at agility.

But dealing with the death of my husband then took its toll on me and I now find life very hard to deal with. There is so much that I feel unable to do without support – and that support is coming from all my dogs, but especially Hero who is constantly by my side.

It’s almost as if we’re healing each other

He reads my emotions and responds in the way he feels best. He is now on the way to becoming my emotional support dog. He was such a mess when I took him on, it’s almost as if we’re healing each other. With his help, I hope to get back some normality and I eventually want to see him compete with the rest of our dogs in agility.

Sarah is amazed at the huge positive influence Amber and Bella have had on her family

My two dogs, Amber and Bella, have brought so much happiness to our family. They act as therapy dogs for my little boy who has severe autism. He lives in a world of his own and very rarely lets people in. Our dogs havebrought him laughter, smiles, love and a bond that’s unbreakable. With them around, he’s always giggling and interacting with us. They’ve made our lives complete.

Our dogs have brought him laughter

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

Laura’s dog Milo is so kind and gentle, you can’t help but adore him

I adopted Milo from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him, but prior to that I used to be his walker. He’s now a happy part of our family, alongside our other two dogs and our two cats, who he adores playing with.

He’s now a happy part of our family

Milo has a calm and caring nature and will always jump onto your lap for snuggles. In fact, he’s so gentle he’s regularly invited to the local primary school to be a reading buddy for the children. He gets to spend some quiet time with them and their books and helps them to stay relaxed.

Our dog has brought so much love and affection into our lives. We just couldn’t be without him!

Even though he’s just a puppy, Teddy has already had a hugely positive impact on Jean’s mental health

Teddy is one of three pups my Chihuahua, Pip, gave birth to, which is why the two of us have such a close bond. One of the pups unfortunately died, but him and his brother both thrived and got lots of care from their mum.

Seeing him grow has really helped with my anxiety and other mental health issues, from the first time he opened his eyes to his first burst of personality and the many times he’s made me feel better.

Teddy is three quarters Chihuahua and a quarter Yorkie, which explains his great personality! He has explosive zoomies around the house and garden, he likes to show off how ‘buff’ he can be to other dogs, and he barks at his brother whenever he has a bone.

Teddy loves playing and he’s loved almost every single toy or game he’s ever been introduced to. But the game he loves the most is being chased by his brother. Even though his legs are small, he can run super fast!

Overall, Ted’s really improved my wellbeing, as I’m always happy to go home and see him and receive his little kisses. It’s like he understands my bad days and good days.

I’m always happy to go home and see him

Ellie completes Margaret’s family, and she is always there for them like they are for her.

Ellie has been with us since she was nine weeks old. She was an RSPCA rescue dog. She is a Staffie Cross, the smallest of five puppies who we fell in love with on first seeing. She isn’t a pet to us, she is our family member.

She is our family member

She has helped me personally through many difficult times — on bad days after losing my precious dad, and when I was diagnosed with breast cancer she never left my side from start to finish of my treatment. She understands our every thought and makes us laugh every day. We always say that she doesn’t think she is a dog!

She has many medical problems herself to overcome but we have always been there for her, like she has us. Life would just not be the same without her.