When Christie was reunited with her dog Kadiki, she was overfilled with joy

My miniature Pinscher flew to London from Zimbabwe last month, but before then, I hadn’t seen her for a year. Her name, Kadiki, means small in the Shona language of Zimbabwe. She may be tiny, but with her huge personality and diva attitude, she never gets a hard time from any of the bigger dogs

I hadn’t seen her in a year

Kadiki has overcome so much, and I’m so proud of the kind and loving soul she istoday. She is my whole world, and I’m so happy to have her back!

Sarah adopted Paddy when he needed her most, and now he’s able to help other vulnerable dogs just like him

Paddy was brought into a rescue center where I was working as a dog walker. He had been found on a busy road near Newark, and was very thin and dirty. It took him a while to warm to us, but after a lot of perseverance – and the offer of food – Paddy came home with me as a foster dog.

He’s such a gentle soul

Of course, I failed as a foster parent and adopted Paddy not long after. He’s such a gentle soul, and has proved to be extremely loving and very happy in everyday life. Over the years, he’s attended fundraiser events with me, to raise money for other dogs in recuse centers and to promote awareness of how Lurchers can make lovely pets.

To this day, Paddy loves food, and will pretty much do anything if you bribe him with something tasty! He also enjoys woodland walks, but his favourite thing to do is curl up on the sofa for some cosy snuggles.

Thanks to clever Lexi, Dominic knows when he’s going to have a diabetic episode

I have type 2 diabetes and Lexi has never been trained to know when I'm about to experience either hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia due to my diabetes, but over the first year we had her, my wife noticed she would come and lay down beside me when I was about to have one or the other.

She is my little life saver

So now, when Lexi comes over and lays down next to me, I know I'm about to have either a hypo or hyper, and my wife can test my blood sugar levels. She is my little life saver.

Katie wasn’t a dog-person until she met Bear, the adorable pooch who brings even more joy to her life

I'll start by saying I didn't really want a dog. My husband had wanted one for so long, however I felt that it was an extra responsibility and commitment that we didn't really need – but then I met Bear.

He’s lifted me up when I’ve felt sad

Bear is my best friend. He's lifted me up when I’ve felt sad, helped me cope with stress and brought even more joy to my life during the happiest times – like on holiday, where he adapted naturally to life as the resident camp pooch.

We're incredibly close to the owners of his sister Dolly, and our two dogs share an incredible amount of traits. They're both inseparable, bonkers and completely ball mad!

One of Bear’s funniest traits is the way he bounces for his breakfast. It's like he gets so excited to eat that he starts dancing – a breakfast boogie, so to speak. Bear really is the most wonderful dog and the best friend a girl could wish for!

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!

Johanna thought that life with her dog Dotty couldn’t get any better, but the arrival of Mo proved that you can never have enough puppy love!

We have had Dotty the Cockerpoo since she was eight weeks old, and I can honestly say she has made me laugh daily for 11 years! She is a great guard dog, barking at any potential murderer that might walk past the house (who'd have known little old ladies and postmen were such a threat) even though she would only lick them to death. One tickle of the tummy and she is anyone's! If you approach her when she's lay down she raises her paws for a tummy tickle.

She used to be so fast! I'd let her off her lead and off she'd go! Twice she has walked away from the house unseen and taken herself to the field where I walk her! She's old and poorly now, and is very slow and less agile. But she still 'smiles' when I get in from work and puts her arms round my neck for a cuddle. Her favourite thing is - food!

They complete our family

Dreading when she can no longer have a good life we recently rescued a Romanian dog, Mo. He is so naughty but so cute! He is the only dog Dotty has ever had to compete with, and she is usually jealous of other dogs getting my attention – but not with Mo! He is the cuddliest dog and sits so close to you, if not on you, the whole time. They play together so it's nice company for Dot, and she keeps Mo in his place.

A house is not a home without a dog. When they went to be groomed the house was eerily silent and felt wrong. They complete our family and provide good therapy for my daughter who suffers from extreme anxiety. Dogs give unconditional love and their faces are so expressive. They know if they're being told off, they know what to do to get a treat. They are bonkers, like us, and I would not be without my special little guys.