Lexi came into Frank’s life after he suffered a stroke five years ago, and since then she’s made even his darkest days that little bit brighter

I’ve been a dog lover since I was a kid. I grew up with at least one Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound or Miniature Schnauzer always around. But my wife was not a dog-lover, nor had she grown up with any pets. I had resigned myself to the fact that I would not be having any dogs in my married life.

Five years ago, I had a stroke. It came out of the blue and suddenly my life was turned upside down. Two months afterwards, my wife had one of these ‘lightbulb moments’ and thought getting a dog would be good for my recovery. In life, when there is a window of opportunity, you have to grab it with both hands, so I certainly didn't argue! A few weeks later, we brought home the most gorgeous Jack Russell puppy, who we decided to name Lexi.

She helps alleviate my stress and anxiety on those dark days

Lexi has been a hugely positive influence in my life. She’s a loyal companion who’s always there for me. When my wife is working and our children are at school, Lexi is the one who gets me through the days. Every day comes with its own challenges for me. My life is governed by my stroke fatigue, but Lexi gets me out of bed and walking.

Often, if we haven't been out, Lexi will still try to get me to move my legs by dropping a tennis ball at my feet, encouraging me to kick the ball so she can fetch it. She helps alleviate my stress and anxiety on those dark days and gives me confidence that things can get better. She also knows when I freeze up, so if I stay in the same position without moving my face or body, she starts barking at me.

She’s loved by everyone in the house, including my wife. When we got Lexi, my wife was adamant that she would strictly be a downstairs dog. Today, not only is Lexi allowed in the bedroom, but she spends most nights sleeping on our bed! And our children can’t stop kissing and tickling her.

My stroke has been challenging for everyone in our house, but Lexi has been the silver lining that comes with every cloud! She has brought immense joy to us all and is a reminder that light can come out of darkness.

Mell is so proud of how much Bess has grown in confidence

Bess was a rescue from the Border Collie Trust. She is very quietand a little timid, but she’s still adored by everyone who meets her. When she first arrived, she was afraid of everything, and although she still doesn’t like fireworks or loud noises, she’s come out of her shell a lot. Now she even allows strangers to strokeher, which is a good thing because everyone who meets her can’t seem to stay away!

She’s come out of her shell

Her favorite pastime is playing with plastic flower pots and racing around the garden.She is such a great dog and has helped us all to get through lockdown with her gentlenessand patience.

Albus may not always show it, but he loves his owner Jayne with all his heart

Five years ago, I brought my French Bulldog Albus home. I remember spending hours searching on the internet ‘how do I know if my Frenchie is happy?’, because he always looked so grumpy!

He always looked so grumpy!

I’ve come to the conclusion that he just has one of those faces. Over the years, he’s been by my side through some really tough times, and he’s definitely helped me to get through them all. He follows me around when I'm anxious, which reminds me to sit down and take a breather. Albus always gives the perfect cuddles and loves a smooch or two.

It’s become pretty clear that Albus is happiest when I’m happy – or when we leave him home alone and he’s free to snooze on the sofa!

Rocco provided Taryn with the love and support she needed to get back on her feet.

Shortly after Rocco was gifted to me as a Valentine’s Day present, I underwent major knee surgery, resulting in me having to learn to walk again rather than devoting my full attention to my puppy. As I regained my mobility, Rocco was a vital part of my recovery, providing unconditional love and support along with companionship when I was back on my feet.

Rocco was a vital part of my recovery

Earlier this year, as a personal challenge I committed to walking 100,000 steps in seven days for charity. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it was incredibly challenging for me to do, and my hound was with me every step of the way. He joined in the early morning walks when he would prefer to be snoozing in bed, he trotted alongside me each lunchtime delaying his set time for dog biscuits, and he continued with me every evening exploring each new location I took him to. At the end of the week, I had done 4000 extra steps and Rocco had earned consecutive exercise badges on his doggy fitness tracker attached to his collar.

Since adopting him, Natalie has watched Duke grow from a timid puppy into a cheeky, happy dog.

I met Duke when I was on holiday in Zante, visiting the dog shelter we often volunteer at. The day we arrived, a little dog was running around inside, clearly terrified. We had to use our ham sandwiches to try and coax him towards us! Luckily it worked, and we got him back into his pen. We kept an eye on him for the next week or so, but sadly, on the last day of our trip, he became ill and had to go to the vets. We sat with him right up until we had to get on our plane home – it was heartbreaking.

The vet kept us up-to-date and a week later, Duke had recovered and was allowed back to the shelter. By this point, we had decided to adopt him and bring him home to live with us when he was ready.

Duke is now a solid part of the family

He arrived three months later, extremely nervous and unsure of everything. We took him to meet my parents’ three other dogs, who are also from Greece. He was nervous at first but he did well, soon becoming best friends with one of the dogs Ella. Ten months on and Duke is now a solid part of the family. Since I work from home, he’s had to learn how to deal with my constant company. He likes to come and poke his head into the camera while I’m on a call to say hello to my colleagues!

He still has his moments and he's a very skittish boy, but once he's approved you (he does this by sticking his nose in your face and licking your ears), he’ll happily sit on top of you and wait for a tummy rub!

Like all the other rescues we work with, Duke has his 'quirks', some of which will stay with him forever and some that will disappear the more confident he gets. It’s lovely to watch his character grow as he gets more comfortable around us. He’s come such a long way already, both physically and mentally, and I can’t wait to watch him blossom even more.

Brody is always around to look out for Amy and her family

Brody is the most loving dog. He brought my partner and I closer togetherwhen we took him on his daily walks during lockdown. He is patient, caring and playful, and he always looks after our new-born son, laying with him when he cries, or staying at our feet when we feed him.

He always looks after our new-born son

He also has a great sense of humour and a very playful character. For instance, he likes to survey the neighbourhood as though he’s a watchdog, he barks at his treats and spends hours playing with his ball. Brody is a truly special dog.