After a difficult start in life, Jake has flourished into the playful (and vocal) pooch he is today with help from Lynne’s family

Jake, our Jack Russell x Whippet, is the love of our lives, the apple of our eyes and an irrepressible bundle of fun and noise! We rescued him from the RSPCA 14 years ago, when he was about two and half years old. He had been mistreated, so he was a terrified, shivering wreck, and a shadow of the loving, confident dog he was to become.

He was frightened of everything, showed fear aggression and couldn’t bear to see us hugging, as he thought we were hurting each other. He didn’t know how to play ball and was terrified if he knocked anything over.

He has taught us all the value of patience, kindness and trust

Now he’s definitely the king of the castle and the boss of us! He is front and centre of everything that happens in our home. He steals all the cushions on the settee and takes up all the room on our bed. He has six dog beds and a sheepskin rug, so he can be warm and comfy, wherever he is in the house.

At 15, Jake still chases his tail and is really playful. He enjoys walks and shouting at all the local dogs. He has a ton of soft toys, but his favourites are a long-necked duck he loves to throw around and bark at, and a cross-eyed mouse called Mr Twister. He’s feisty and fearless and very, very vocal! But, most of all, he is very loving and affectionate. He loves cuddles and belly rubs and hates being left, which happens very rarely.

Last year, we found a lump on Jake, and we were distraught. But we’re very blessed as it turned out to be okay. This year, we’ve found out that Jake has a heart murmur. He’s just started medication, which we hope will help control it, and keep him happy and healthy for as long as possible. He has taught us all the value of patience, kindness and trust. We are so lucky to have him. Put simply, he loves us, and we love him.

Blossom’s overbite meant she was no longer valuable to breeders, but their loss was Lyndsey’s gain as the pair have now formed an unbreakable bond

Blossom is originally from Ireland where she was used for breeding. It wasn’t long before they realised that she was passing on her overbite, reducing the value of her puppies. They no longer wanted her, so she went to Many Tears rescue centre in Wales.

From there she went to a foster home, before being adopted by a family. Sadly, this didn’t last long due to a marriage breakdown, so it was back to Many Tears, into another foster home, and then we met her and she came home with us. This was all before she was five years old.

We’ve now had Blossom for three years and it’s like she’s always been here. It took her about a year before she would let us rub her belly, and she’s still not 100% sure about my husband. But she’s my shadow and will follow me wherever I go. It’s a bond I’ve never had with any other dog I’ve owned and it’s so special. She’s been my jogging buddy, my marathon-walking buddy, my isolation buddy, and everything in between.

We absolutely adore every little hair on her

To see her character come out over the years has been absolutely beautiful. Watching her enjoying walks, trips in the car, days out as a family, scratches and her spectacular zoomies around our garden truly warms my heart. She is fantastic with both my daughters, and she even loves the guinea pigs!

There isn’t a bad bone in this dog’s body, which astounds me as she had such a rubbish start to her life. She is so patient and kind to our little puppy who joined the family in December, although she could do with being a bit firmer with him as he’s running rings around her!

Honestly, the love that our whole family has for this little ‘potato gremlin’ is immense. She’s our funky little monkey and we absolutely ADORE every little hair on her (though it would be nice if they stayed on her and didn’t stick to everything she touches!).

When she first moved in, Mary Jane ripped the house to pieces, but Natalie refused to give up on her

I fostered Mary Jane in January 2016. It was just supposed to be temporary until her owner could have her back, but it turned out he never wanted her back. So, I decided to keep her because I just knew she was special.

In the first few months, she absolutely destroyed my house. She chewed holes in my walls, chewed up and ate a few of my little boy’s toys. She ripped up my flooring and she was forever taking herself for walks by jumping over my six-foot gate.

My house wouldn’t be a home without her

Everybody told me to get rid of her because she’d never learn and she was ‘naughty’, but I believed in her and I’m so glad I did. We’re now in 2022 and she’s the most loyal and loving dog. She loves to curl up on her bed and tuck herself under her blankets with just her nose poking out.

She can be left alone without chewing a single thing. Sometimes she will still clear my six-foot gate but let’s just put that down to checking her legs and muscles are still working properly.

She’s pure white so one of her other favourite things to do is run as fast as she can and slide along the mud on her walks – the dirtier the better! My children absolutely adore her, and she adores them. My house wouldn’t be a home without her.

After three wonderful decades of marriage, Denise’s husband, Pete, sadly passed away this year. But through the good times and the tough, Trixey and Deychko have been a real pillar of support.

My dear husband Pete lost his fight for life on Saturday 25th January 2020. We had been together for almost 32 years.

Naturally I have been devastated and lonely since my loss. I have two dogs Trixey, a Doberman Pinscher, and Detchko, a Yorkshire Terrier.

My husband and I rescued Trixey when she was just over 15 months’ old. Trixey then went with us to Babbington Rescue Centre where she selected Detchko.

I am so grateful for their companionship and love as it makes the long and lonely days feel a little brighter

Trixey is a very sensitive and highly intelligent dog. She immediately sensed that there was something wrong. I feel she must have communicated this to Detchko as she was making strange sounds and a different type of bark.

For the past couple of months, she has always been by my side and has given such an out pouring of love that one cannot begin to imagine.

Without Trixey and Detchko by my side I would be a very lonely old age pensioner. I am so grateful for their companionship and love as it makes the long and lonely days feel a little brighter.

Eve always knew Finley was cheeky, but she didn’t realise how cheeky until she found out what he’d been getting up to every time she went to work

Finley is as sweet as a dog could get. We have had such an amazing bond since the day he was born. He is so loyal, cheeky and playful – I really don’t know what I would do without him.

I live at home with my family and we have always had a strict ‘no dogs upstairs’ rule in place, but recently that has become a little lax. Finley loves nothing more than being upstairs and sleeping on the end of my bed. Though I have to say, the 6am wake up calls from him laying on my chest and wagging his tail so hard he could almost take off aren’t always appreciated!

He was taking underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa

I work alternating day and night shifts, so whenever I’m not there Finley would look around my room for me and have a general sniff around. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing.

It turns out every time I wasn’t there, Finley was taking a set of underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa. One night I came home earlier than expected, and when I walked upstairs there was Finley with the guiltiest look on his face and a pair of knickers in his mouth.

I asked for them back and he just RAN. At 3am, this is the last thing I wanted to do, but there I was chasing Finley round the house whilst trying to be as quiet as possible. He was in his element. And it’s safe to say, I now put the lid on my washing basket!

When Karen first got Mia, she had to keep her a secret – but Mia quickly became an important and prominent member of the family.

Mia is a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She has short legs and a little white patch on her chest. I first brought her home on a cold night about five years ago, when she was just seven weeks old.

Initially, I had to hide her because my husband was against getting another dog after losing our Yorkshire Terrier. For four days she lived in my daughter’s bedroom, sneaking out for cuddles when my husband was out. If he heard her make any noises during the night, we’d have to tell him he was just dreaming!

She has helped me to cope

One day, I went to get her to take her to the vets for her booster jab. She shot out of the door, down the stairs and bounced straight onto the sofa and sat down next to my husband! I was busted, but Mia quickly won his heart and became a member of the household.

Mia has such a great personality. Some of her favourite hobbies include stealing Brussels Sprouts from the veg rack, chasing birds and enjoying treats. She sleeps beside us every night in her basket, and every year we celebrate her birthday with a doggy cake and her friends.

She’s such an important dog to me because she helped me to cope after lost my brother. She knows when I’m sad and will give me lots of cuddles and kisses. I truly believe Mia was sent to me for a reason.