Jacky lives on her own, but thanks to her dog Izzy, she knows she’ll always have a reason to smile every day.

Izzy is my whole world. I’m 64 and live alone with multiple health issues, so Izzy gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. She always puts a smile on my face and is adored by everyone who meets her. She's the most affectionate dog I've ever met, showering everyone with kisses and cuddles.

She always puts a smile on my face

Izzy is just amazing and has an enthusiasm for everything in life – especially playing with other dogs!

Now her racing days are over, Maggie is enjoying her life as a therapy dog and a beloved member of Richard’s family

Maggie made our lives complete when we adopted her from Greyhound Trust West Wales. She’s an ex-racer and was very timid and nervous of men at first. She’s settled with us really well, and now works as a therapy hound for Greyhound Rescue Wales. She visits students in colleges and universities in South Wales, where she enjoys lots of attention and treats.

We strive to give her the loving family life she so deserves

She’s very aloof and a bit of a diva. But she’s absolutely gorgeous, and always turns heads in the pub – which she loves visiting! She also loves going for walks and then crashing out on our comfy sofa or bed until it’s her mealtime.

Maggie’s very partial to chicken and cooked broccoli and, of course, the occasional treat. We like to think that Maggie has fully adopted us too, and we strive to give her the loving family life she so deserves.

She may be small, but Sissy has had a huge impact on Jessica and her parents’ lives

Every morning, Sissy wakes me with a bang on the door as she uses all of her tiny strength to batter her way into my bedroom. You would think she loves me, but really she just wants to curl up and sleep for an extra hour after my parents get up. She has a habit of curling up next to me like a freshly baked, fluffy cinnamon swirl – with her signature pink tail.

The best times with Sissy are on our local beach in Conwy. As soon as she gets on the beach (after 200+ sniffs and wees) she fires off like a rocket, running at 100 mph, stopping only to lie on her back and do a wriggly breakdance in the sand.

Sissy is the glue that holds us all together

There are four of us in our family, and Sissy is the glue that holds us all together. My dad works on ships that go all over the world, and his goal is to leave a Sissy hair on every ship in the sea. We go nowhere without her – she has had her picture taken on the beach in Cannes, the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland and next to a Ferrari in Monte Carlo.

The best thing about Sissy is her affectionate nature and her often wonky looks. Having completed my PhD during the lockdowns, she was my loyal companion sitting on my knee with her head on the keyboard. Day after day, she was there to bring smiles to zoom meetings (and often a great excuse to leave them!).

She can go from looking the best in show after a brush, to looking like a drunk Donald Trump after a good windswept breakdance on the beach. The most special thing about having her as a baby sister is waking up with her under my chin, snuggled up warm and peaceful.

Patrizia and her sister may not know Bonnie’s history, but one thingthey are sure of is her wonderful personality

My twin sister and I already had two dogs in our family when we recently decided to foster another. She’s called Bonnie and she’s just seven months old. We got her from a charity called Underdog, who rescued her from Romania.

Loves making new friends

We don’t know her breed but whenever we go out people love to guess. Most seem to think she’s some sort of Husky, Lurcher and Terrier mix, but the jury’s still out on that one!

Bonnie has something of a sheepdog mentality, and always tries to herd other dogs together. She’s so sociable and loves making new friends. During the day she’s crazy and energetic, but as soon as it gets dark, she loves nothing more than crashing out and curling up on our laps.

Kareen admires the way her dog Vizsla always stays positive, no matter what life throws at him

Dudley is a Hungarian Vizsla who was born with a deformed front leg. By the time he arrived at the rescue centre it couldn’t be corrected, and so he underwent amputation surgery at just ten weeks old. I decided to foster him on the night of his surgery and subsequently adopted him permanently

Always shows his loving, caring and empathetic side

We knew this lad was special, but he has really shone during lockdown. Last year, we had to shield to protect our son Jack who has Downs Syndrome and is waiting for a new heart valve. Our crazy, rambunctious pup always shows his loving, caring and empathic side whenever he's withhis best friend Jack, but he stayed especially close to him during this tough time.

Dudley’s antics make us laugh and his cuddles warm our hearts. He’s helped us to stay positive and has fast become the centre of our family.

After being rescued from her abusive trainer, life has only got better for Dora since she joined Claire’s family

Dora was rescued by the RSPCA in September 2022, and came into our lives when we adopted her in May 2023. She had survived starvation and neglect at the hands of her trainer, who was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison and given a lifetime ban from owning animals.

Dora is a sweet, bright and affectionate baby. She’s quite the comedian and wakes us up every morning by howling in our faces. She loves to 'curtsy' to greet people when they come into the house. She lightens up our work calls by laying on her back behind us and pulling goofy faces.

I want to give her as many experiences as I can to make up for her life before

Her favourite trick at the moment is to jump as high as she can when we leave the house on our walks. She also likes to outrun her best friend, Jadzia the German Shepherd, and play chase with her.

To me, Dora is an inspiration. She’s a reminder than no matter what you go through in life, you can't stop and wallow in misery. She’s a brave girl who genuinely loves humans and craves attention and affection. She makes my life better and I love thinking about the happy days I will give her.

She inspires me to look after myself, so that I can look after her. I’ve been to places I never would have gone, just because I want to give her as many experiences as I can to make up for her life before. She’s the best decision I've ever made.