Geraldine’s dog Lucy has a big personality – and she’s not afraid to let you know it!

Lucy is the happiest, cheekiest little pup there is. Although she has arthritis, she still loves to play and always keeps a teddy bear close by. In her prime she loved to chase cats around the garden, but now she’s older she enjoys just lying down and waiting for them to approach her. She’s also obsessed with cold things, and will sit and growl at her bowl of water if it reaches room temperature until we replace it!

Lucy is also the neighborhood watchdog

Initially, my son was uninterested in her, but now they’re best buddies. He gives any of his leftover food to her and she’s always more than willing to eat it. Lucy is also the neighborhood watchdog. Every night, she sits outside just watching the world go by and doing her part to protect us all.

Ellie is so intelligent that she managed to lead Patricia and her friend to safety after they got lost in the woods

Ellie is naughty, but smart. She thinks and waits, then grabs the opportunity! She’s so intelligent – she’ll picks up things that I’ve dropped, and even fetch the phone.

She helped my heart to heal after the sudden loss of my Dad, then my beloved dog Megan just five weeks later. She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years.

She has nurtured Maple, our adopted terrified ex-breeder, who had never had a family before. Thanks to Ellie, she is a different dog, and they adore each other. They love to go camping and they can tell when we’re going to get the caravan.

She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years

Ellie has a fantastic homing instinct. She saved my friend and I from a cold night in the woods a couple of years ago. We had gone for an evening woodland walk, but missed the turn-off and followed the wrong trail.

After four hours trying to find our way back, it was pitch black and we were having to use the torch on my phone, but the battery was nearly spent. By this time, we were totally lost and distressed. We came to a junction of five paths and didn't know where to go.

In tears, I said ‘Ellie, find us the path’. She sniffed around a bit, then set off. We followed her, and lo and behold, 50 yards down the track was a car park! Having found the car park, we were able to walk back to the village. If it hadn't been for Ellie, we could have been there all night in the dark. Clever girl!

Rosemary took Daisy Mae in when she was left without an owner, and in return she’s helped her heal from the loss of her previous dog

Daisy Mae lost her owner a few months ago. He had dementia, so she’s now overweight due to overfeeding and lack of exercise. Her owner’s son found me through a rescue centre, and she came straight to me.

She's a failed foster, as I'm adopting her!

She's been through a lot, but she has a lovely temperament and is ever so good. She's my fourth dog, as my last furbaby died nearly two years ago from serious heart disease, which left me heartbroken. But Daisy Mae has mended my heart and brought me such joy.

She's a great companion, and she’s a Staffy, so she’s full of happy wags and lots of kisses and smiles. I live on my own, so she also helps with any feelings of loneliness. And now, she's a failed foster, as I'm adopting her!

When Dawn adopted her rescue dog Katsi, Rapha was great at helping her adjust to life in a happy home

My Rapha is a very well-behaved Cockapoo. He’s also my therapist who has helped me through the toughest times!

Fifteen months ago, I decided to rescue my other dog, Katsi. She’d been chained up and had three pups with her, who are all also in good homes now. I saw the advert on Facebook but wasn’t interested in the pups, as Rapha was already six and it’s a big age gap! I knew he would be better with an adult dog, and long story short, he welcomed her with open paws, even though she was terrified at first. Now, they’re besties and share my bed with mutual respect for each other.

Rapha is kind even though he’s been attacked several times. The last time was nasty, as both dogs were on lead and the other owner got dragged over to us – she couldn’t stop her very large dog! Now, he’s understandably cautious of other dogs when he’s on his lead, so he growls a little. Off lead, there’s no problem. He’s just a friendly, loving little boy who loves life.

He’s just a friendly, loving little boy who loves life

I love walking and so do Rapha and Katsi. We often go on walking holidays together. Rapha loves a café or pub on our walks. He’ll drag me in if he thinks it’s time for a snack. At home, when I’ve been out, he runs up to greet me with a shoe, toy or even his bed in his mouth as a gift and he wiggles so much. He’ll panic if he can’t find something to give me!

He’s loving, caring, and a loyal best friend to both me and Katsi. He’s definitely shown her how to be a pet and how to play. We’re working on trust still, but we’re getting there. She trusts him, me and a handful of other people. She also looks to him for guidance as he’s a great role model.

He doesn’t like to wear a coat when it’s wet and will sit and refuse to move until it’s removed. In lockdown, my daughter started making dog accessories to fill the time, and he was the model! He really is a first-class dog in every way.

Zoe’s dog Piker is the perfect mix of affectionate and mischievous!

Piker has a beautiful temperament and she’s extremely clever, even though she is still young. She is a firm part of our family now and loves being with us all the time – so much so that she follows us around constantly, and even waits patiently for you if you’re busy.

She is a firm part of our family

Something that makes her unique is her love of rain. We practically have to force her inside when it’s wet so she doesn’t get too cold! Piker is very agile and super speedy, so she loves jumping and vaulting over the back of our sofa.

She is a bundle of fun and mischievous in the best possible way. We’re always amused by her funny antics!

Patsy is a girl who knows what she wants, and Rose wouldn’t have it any other way!

Patsy was two when we adopted her from Bath Cats and Dogs Home. She had just had a litter of pups and was handed in. She was tiny, seemed so scared and frail, and we were nervous taking her home. We were so wrong! She walked in, took the bone out of our other dog Eddie’s mouth, pushed him out of his bed and made herself at home. She treated Eddie like her puppy and still does.

Over the months it was clear that Patsy hadn't had the best start. House training was a nightmare, she couldn't walk far as she had little muscle and very cracked pads, she was also scared of walking sticks, but loved people. Six years on and she is so different. She’s much more confident and a local favourite! Patsy loves people and loves a cuddle, and everyone is willing to oblige.

She is our family and we love her

She loves Eddie and still cleans his face every day – even though we don’t think he actually likes it he still lets her do it. Some days she won’t walk, some days it’s like walking a bag of potatoes, but as soon as she’s in the woods, she comes alive! Exploring, chasing squirrels and having fun. And, although she’s not built for swimming (her body to leg ratio is not great) she loves the water and will always paddle in streams and loves a beach trip.

She is getting old, has terrible wind, snores like a steam train and is stubborn like I’ve never known before, but she is our family and we love her. She’s great for a cuddle on the sofa and the comedy value is priceless.