Throughout his cancer battle, Jeff’s beautiful bond with his dog Holly has kept him going

Holly allows me to be her guide person. She is totally blind but still does everything with such determination, whether it’s visiting new places, climbing steps or gently nudging me when she wants a cuddle.

Her strength gives me the determination to keep going

Every new surface she walks on is a challenge, which she courageously accepts. I have stage four prostate cancer and multi-level spinal stenosis, but her strength gives me the determination to keep going.

Holly makes me realise that life is a challenge, but we can all overcome whatever it throws our way, as long as we have the support of someone special. Holly has become my someone very special. Every day is a new adventure.

With Spirit by her side, Joleen can live life to the full and make the most of every day

Spirit came to me as a rescue dog. She was very troubled with behavioural issues, but that hasn’t stopped her from massively improving my life for the better.

I have suffered with depression, anxiety and panic attacks, but training and rehabilitating Spirit has given me something to focus on. It’s forced me to get up every morning on days when I’ve wanted to stay in bed and hide from the world. Together, we have built up a successful dog walking business and now I’ve gained qualifications, I can even help other people with their dogs.

Rehabilitating Spirit has given me something to focus on

As Spirit is getting older and her mobility is failing, we are now doing Mantrailing, which involves training dogs to find missing people. She’s shown me such love and devotion over the years,and I’d be lost without her.

Life hasn’t been easy for Abbie, but since Obi came along, he’s made every day feel that little bit brighter

I have a chronic illness, so I suffer daily with chronic pain and fatigue. For a long time, I was depressed and really not enjoying life. But then I got Obi...

He’s the absolute light of my life. My rock. My therapist. My best friend. I couldn't be without him. I knew getting a crazy Border Collie was going to be a challenge alongside living with a chronic illness, but he's been the best decision I've ever made. He gives me purpose. He gives me a reason to get out of bed on a morning. The minute I see his little face waiting for me downstairs, I feel a little less tired and a little less sore.

He gives me a reason to get out of bed on a morning

He's helped me meet so many lovely people in the village where we live, some who have become great friends. I love our long walks through the countryside, our trips to the beach (followed by ice cream, of course) and snuggling on the sofa when the weather isn't so great.

I love his craziness, his will to live, the way he shakes his butt when he gets scratches. His long tongue that he can't keep in his mouth, his cheeky smile, his one-up one-down ears, his beautiful eyes. His 'taps' when you're eating something that he really wants, the way he bounces up and down waiting for me to throw his ball, his wrestling sessions with his best friend Yoshi, his obsession with water and mud (usually the two mixed together), the way he sits and laps up the attention when the village kids come to give him cuddles. I love all of this and more.

He's my gentle giant. Always along for the ride – the highs and the lows. He makes me laugh, brings me joy, teaches me how to live freely and love unconditionally. I don't own him, he owns me.

Carole adores her cheeky chappy Norman, even if he does have a habit of going walkabout.

As a pup, Norman was a bit of an escapologist. He managed to escape out of the house and run off round the corner. He got into a garden and went in through an open back door. He was discovered by the homeowner when he heard a noise, turned around and found Norman sitting watching tv with him and his family!

Norman was a bit of an escapologist

Another time, he managed to squeeze under our garden fence and make his way into our neighbour’s house… where he was eventually found in her upstairs bedroom.

Ellie is so intelligent that she managed to lead Patricia and her friend to safety after they got lost in the woods

Ellie is naughty, but smart. She thinks and waits, then grabs the opportunity! She’s so intelligent – she’ll picks up things that I’ve dropped, and even fetch the phone.

She helped my heart to heal after the sudden loss of my Dad, then my beloved dog Megan just five weeks later. She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years.

She has nurtured Maple, our adopted terrified ex-breeder, who had never had a family before. Thanks to Ellie, she is a different dog, and they adore each other. They love to go camping and they can tell when we’re going to get the caravan.

She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years

Ellie has a fantastic homing instinct. She saved my friend and I from a cold night in the woods a couple of years ago. We had gone for an evening woodland walk, but missed the turn-off and followed the wrong trail.

After four hours trying to find our way back, it was pitch black and we were having to use the torch on my phone, but the battery was nearly spent. By this time, we were totally lost and distressed. We came to a junction of five paths and didn't know where to go.

In tears, I said ‘Ellie, find us the path’. She sniffed around a bit, then set off. We followed her, and lo and behold, 50 yards down the track was a car park! Having found the car park, we were able to walk back to the village. If it hadn't been for Ellie, we could have been there all night in the dark. Clever girl!

Jenny loves Clyde for many reasons, especially the way he takes care of her mum

Clyde is 12 years old, but he’s been part of our family ever since he was a little ball of fur. My dad passed away nearly 2 years ago now, and Clyde has been the most loyal and loving companion for my mum. I don’t know what she’d do without him.

He loves the rain, playing with his favourite ball and eating yummy snacks. He has arthritis in his legs and so he falls down sometimes, but while his body may be getting old, he still has the mind of a puppy. He’s constantly wagging his tail and ready to play, he’s such a happy boy.

He’s such a happy boy

Clyde enjoys nothing more than stealing your spot on the sofa as soon as you get up. If you leave even for a second, he’ll be lying there waiting for you when you come back. He’s also not keen on getting his photo taken, though he’s really photogenic, and we all utterly adore him. I think he still has the same puppy dog eyes we fell in love with all those years ago.