Kylo always knows exactly what his owner Suzanne needs, whether it be love, a helping hand or just a reason to smile

I have Muscular Dystrophy and am in a wheelchair, so I wasn’t sure how a puppy would fit into our lives initially, but I knew I wanted the love and companionship only a furry friend could provide.

Kylo is now one year old and has already exceeded all of my expectations. He is such a loving dog and is never happier than when he’s sitting with us and getting lots of attention. He is very sensitive to my disability and will sit by my legs as though protecting me from the world (something he doesn’t do to anyone else). He also sits and waits patiently whenever I go past in my wheelchair, and even seems to sense when my feet and legs are painful.

He has brought such love, joy and affection

He has recently learnt to bring me my socks when I ask him to, after many months of grabbing them and taking off! We all utterly adore him, and he has brought such joy, love and affection into our family life.

Whenever you enter room, he will always greet you with a very enthusiastic tail wag – we call it the helicopter. He’s so smart and learnt all his commands and tricks in no time. Although, despite his intelligence, he is still absolutely terrified of the microwave!

Nymeria has been through a lot, but Tabitha is in constant awe of how she takes everything in her stride

I’ve had Nym since she was just a puppy, and since then she has remained closely by my side. When she was younger, I taught her lots of tricks such as rolling, walking on her hind legs and pirouetting. She has got me through many tough times with her calm demeanour and cosy cuddles.

She very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness

In early 2020, Nym went suddenly and completely blind. She started running into things and became much more nervous. Fortunately, she’s a sweet and trusting dog, so she very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness, learning new words such as ‘careful’ and ‘step’. Now she’s used to navigating using her sense of smell and hearing and has even memorised the layout of the house as well as our regular walking routes, so she can get around with confidence.

I love my dog just as much now as the day I got her. I wouldn't change her for the world.

Julian has learnt a lot from his two dogs Gracie and Sophie, who brighten up his every day

Gracie is a lovely Golden Retriever, who lives with her daughter Sophie. Sophie turned two years old on the first of December, but she didn't take much notice of her birthday celebrations. She was much more interested in chasing the pheasants that roam across the fields near our house – they make a wonderful chucking sound when they leave the ground, and Gracie loves nothing more than to watch her run after them.

Dogs are an example to us all

On one occasion, the pair of them decided to chase after a herd of about 50 deer. Of course, they never manage to catch anything, but it is quite entertaining to watch them try!

Dogs are an example to us all. While we moan and groan, dogs are always positive and happy to be here. In the morning, we have to have a cup of tea or coffee before we can get anything done – but dogs are up with a shake of their head and a wag of their tail, bright and happy whatever the weather and however early it is. We can learn so much from our four-legged best friends.

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.

Maggie and Roma are perfectly in sync, be that in understanding each other’s feelings, or in dancing together on stage!

It’s sometimes hard to put into words what Roma means to me. She’s a dog from Romania, an ex-street dog to be precise.

I’ve never met a dog quite like Roma. She’s very deep, if that makes sense. She notices the slightest change and she remembers something for months! Once we found a dead squirrel on the path, so we avoided that walk for a couple of weeks. When we did return she went straight to the spot where that squirrel was!

Now we dance together

It took her a year to trust me when I first got her, and for us to truly bond. She taught me so much and continues to teach me every day. She even got me to be a dog trainer! That got me out and about meeting people. Now we dance together in front of a crowd, in heelwork to music competitions! In our first ever competition, we came fourth out of 17 other competitors.

It’s not always been easy. She came with baggage, but then again so did I. together we muddled our way through it all to end up here. Today I wouldn’t be without Roma, and I hope she feels the same.

After helping Sarah recover from the loss of her first pup, Yogi is now supporting his local community as well

Yogi Bear brings light and love into our lives. We had a puppy before him, who was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition – we looked after him until the end. Then Yogi healed our scars.

Yogi healed our scars

I soon realised he was incredibly sociable, and people loved him. I started taking him to the care home that backs onto our garden. Some of the patients never speak, but they can all say ‘Yogi’!

He also visits a local nursery, and the kids LOVE him. You always want to give back to the community, and Yogi is my faithful pup helping me do that. He’s my shadow, so kind and gentle. But if you drive an Amazon van, he suddenly thinks he’s a Doberman!