Whether she’s comforting them or making them laugh, Luna has been a lifeline for Denise and her husband

We adopted Luna from a rescue centre soon after lockdown. She’s been my husband’s saviour as he suffered heart failure after contracting Covid and will never be fully well again, either physically or mentally. Luna seems to know when to give extra love and she sits with him to comfort him. She keeps me sane too, as I can get out for walks with her and chat to other dog owners.

She is such a sweetie and loves nothing better than rolling on her back wherever she fancies. This can be on the carpet indoors, outside in the sunshine, on the grass, on the beach or most recently in the snow. Sometimes she has a naughty day and will roll in mud, or worse!

She’s also really lazy and will easily sleep for 10-12 hours at night, which we don’t mind at all. Her latest thing is demanding a head massage by thrusting her head into my lap and then she closes her eyes in bliss!

Every day she amazes, astounds and brings us such joy, which is a bonus as she came with a list of behavioural issues that have all disappeared. She travels well and we’ve taken her 500 miles to Scotland on holiday where she loves the forests, beaches and the self-catering cottage we rent. We couldn’t hope for a better companion.

We couldn’t hope for a better companion

Bibi brings endless joy to Lisa’s life, and she’s also been great at helping her son with his epilepsy

Bibi is an absolute joy! She is a rescue pooch from Bulgaria, and we’ve had her for five years now. She was found on the streets with seven other pups. We saw her and wanted to give her the life she deserves.

She’s a beautiful angel that’s been sent from heaven

She’s very shy but since we’ve had our new puppy Bonnie she’s really come out of her shell. When she first arrived, she’d never seen traffic, a TV or dog toys before – everything was new to her.

My son was diagnosed with epilepsy five years ago and she always knew when he was going to have a seizure. While he was having one, she would lay by his bedroom door and bark and then lie on him. Honestly, she’s a beautiful angel that’s been sent from heaven. She’s gorgeous inside and out. We spoil her so much and she deserves it.

Owner Paul has always enjoyed listening to Percy’s musical talents, and clearly he is not the only one!

Percy is a singer. He has several favourite tunes, but his go-to is A Kind of Magic by Queen. No matter where he is, he can't control himself, if he hears this song he must sing to it!

Singing at the top of his voice

A couple of years ago, we were on holiday in the south of France, and found a pub we liked to go to every evening. One night, Queen came on the jukebox and Percy was away, singing, or more correctly, howling, at the top of his voice – much to the amusement of the guests.

The bar owner cottoned on to this, so every evening at the same time he would turn on the jukebox and Percy would do his thing. One night, there was a Karaoke competition. Needless to say, Percy took center stage – which was an upside down beer barrel with a microphone placed in front of it – and started singing at the top of his voice. He attracted quite a crowd and won by a mile, and afterwards became somewhat of a local celebrity!

After a difficult start, Janey is finally living the life she always deserved with Maria and her family

Our Janey is a rescue dog from Romania, who was saved from living life on the streets and brought to the UK by Blind Dog Rescue UK. She had experienced dreadful cruelty and was fostered by a wonderful lady in Derby.

She brightens my day every day

We drove from Essex to Derby to collect her. She was very quiet at first but soon settled in with us and our cats. She’s cheeky, funny and very cuddly. Our cats trust her, and my grandchildren adore her.

She’s so gentle and sweet-natured despite her rough start in life. She’s very precious to us and brightens my day every day.

Stuart’s dog Teddy has transformed his outlook on life, and now he starts every day with a smile

Just as my parents before me, we finally succumbed to my daughter’s persistent requests to get a puppy. A few months later we arrived home with Teddy, a 12-week-old Golden Retriever. I’ll admit, before Teddy I never would have classed myself as a dog-fanatic – but oh how my opinion has changed!

I'm 51 and have suffered with severe anxiety all my life, but Teddy’s smiling face and unconditional love have uplifted me beyond belief. I had could never have imagined the positive impact he’d have on my wellbeing, but he really has had a hugely profound impact on all of our lives.

Uplifted me beyond belief

Because of my anxiety, I tend to wake up very early every morning, which can be frustrating. But now that I have Teddy I’ve started using that time to get out for a walk in the woods, which always helps me to start the day in a better mood. Watching him bound around and explore with such energy and relentless enthusiasm just makes me so happy. He’s always so determined to catch a bird, but hasn’t yet grasped the fact that he can’t fly!

Before Teddy, I never truly understood what it meant when people referred to dogs as ‘man’s best friend’ – but now, I couldn’t be without him. Just looking at his smiling face fills me with joy and makes me feel optimistic about the day ahead.

Since Rosie’s children have left home, Gimli has filled the gap they left with lots of laughs and constant support

Gimli is our sixth rehomed dog, and has been with us nearly five years. He's a joy. He loves humans and always invites them to tickle his ears. He also loves playing with the dogs he sees regularly on his walks.

His dedication to sniffing when he's outside always reminds us of a reader with a very good book. My husband now calls his walks ‘going to the library’.

Gimli stops us being empty nesters

Gimli’s my constant companion. When I fractured my femur last June, we had to wait 10.5 hours for an ambulance. For all that time, he sat quietly and supportively by my side, near the fracture. When the ambulance team came, he welcomed them and stood back quietly as they manoeuvred me onto a stretcher and into the ambulance.

Our children have flown the nest now to have their own lives (rightly so), but Gimli stops us being empty nesters. He fills the house with fun and welcomes all the affection we used to give the children with genial appreciation.