Now her racing days are over, Maggie is enjoying her life as a therapy dog and a beloved member of Richard’s family

Maggie made our lives complete when we adopted her from Greyhound Trust West Wales. She’s an ex-racer and was very timid and nervous of men at first. She’s settled with us really well, and now works as a therapy hound for Greyhound Rescue Wales. She visits students in colleges and universities in South Wales, where she enjoys lots of attention and treats.

We strive to give her the loving family life she so deserves

She’s very aloof and a bit of a diva. But she’s absolutely gorgeous, and always turns heads in the pub – which she loves visiting! She also loves going for walks and then crashing out on our comfy sofa or bed until it’s her mealtime.

Maggie’s very partial to chicken and cooked broccoli and, of course, the occasional treat. We like to think that Maggie has fully adopted us too, and we strive to give her the loving family life she so deserves.

Gemma’s career has progressed in leaps and bounds since Lola came into her life

Lola was our first dog and from the moment we brought her home she had such a positive impact on our lives. She is such a loving, kind soul who loves cuddles and anything that pops, including balloons and party poppers – but her absolute favourite is bubble wrap! She also loves being chased around the garden at 10pm because she won’t come inside!

She led me to find my dream job as a puppy supervisor

I started to research dog behaviour when she was having some issues with other dogs, and it has now led me to find my dream job as a puppy supervisor at a dog day-care. I have gained so much knowledge and experience because of her.

I now have four dogs and they have each led me onto something more to progress my career and involvement in the dog world. I have gained some incredible friends through my dogs, but it all started with my beautiful Lola. I will always be in her debt for the way she has impacted my life.

While volunteering for British Divers Marine Life Rescue, Lizzi discovered that Goose had an unexpected superpower

Goose is a Cyprus street dog. One of her best qualities is her kindness and intuition – she comes to work with me out on the beach and puts my coaching clients at ease. She’s also a volunteer SAS Rep and a Marine Mammal Medic Search and Rescue Dog.

For SAS, she helps run beach cleans and is extremely patient with all the children. She’s also self-trained in finding ghost fishing nets for us to collect. We bring her to fundraisers too and she acts as a great draw. She is so mellow and relaxed, and people gravitate towards her. When I’m asked what breed she is, I say she is a total mix and that she must be made with 100% love.

One of her best qualities is her kindness and intuition

For British Divers Marine Life Rescue, we attend callouts to sick and injured seal pups and Goose is brilliant at locating them. Ordinarily we would say keep dogs well away from seals – and to be fair, Goose keeps her distance – but after attending a great many callouts, she must have realised what we were looking for. One evening, we were on the beach in the dark, searching for a seal pup that had been called in with vague location details. We had her on the lead, and after around 45 minutes in the pitch black we were giving up. So, we took her off-lead and saw her blue collar light disappear back to an area we had already searched.

She climbed about ten feet up a rock, then stopped still. As we approached, we saw that ten metres away from her, fast asleep in a rock crevice, was our poorly seal pup. Since then, we have paid a lot more attention to her when out on rescues and she always leads us straight to them, which is a great help when time can be critical. I can say for certain that she’s saved many seal pup lives.

Goose is loved by all who meet her and she holds a huge part in our hearts. For a small dog, she has made a lifelong impact on us, and we are eternally grateful to have found each other. She is my hero and teaches me life lessons every day!

Jo and her dog Treacle had plenty of time to bond on their adventure through Europe

Treacle was found abandoned in the Bulgarian ski resort we were working at last winter. She was only about two months old, and not in the best condition. We took her in and nursed her back to health until she was strong enough to go outside and play in the snow. She grew into a happy, cheeky puppy who loved to spend time with us.

When the first lockdown happened, we were stuck in Bulgaria and couldn’t get home, so we found work on a campsite nearby. Treacle adored having us around all the time, and spent her days going on long walks and playing with the other dogs on the site.

She’s a major hit with all the guests

After a while, we managed to get a new job with a caravan park in the UK, and drove all the way through Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany and France with Treacle sleeping in the backseat. She was so well-behaved, charming every border control team we encountered and even waiting patiently when our van broke down.

Now we’re back in England, and Treacle loves her new countryside life. She likes to sit outside on the decking of our caravan and watch the world go by, or join us for a ride around the site in a golf buggy. She’s a major hit with all the guests too, and always manages to wrangle a treat out of them!

Ian knows that he’ll never find another dog as loving and loyal as Jax

Jax is the happiest, craziest dog I have ever met.He has an abundance of energy, but as soon as one of our young children enters the room, he’ll instantly calm down and settle with them.

He loves everyone and everything

I had a serious accident not long after adopting Jax, and though I was still fairly new to him, he never left my side. He loves everyone and everything, including our other dogs and cats. He’s even great friends with our rabbit!

I have always been canine-crazy and very close to all my past dogs, but I’ve never had a bond as special as the one I have with Jax. He’s my sidekick, my rock and my very best friend.

This year is sure to down in history because of the coronavirus outbreak. But for Lucinda, it will always be the year she welcomed Dudley into the family.

We have owned two Golden Retrievers over the last 30 years, but sadly our last beautiful boy died in November. For the first time in all these years, we were faced with a home with no dog – and the loss hit us hard.

Slowly the conversations began: should we think about getting a puppy? We agreed that it wouldn’t be a good idea and yet we started looking at puppies online. Before we knew it, we were suddenly puppy owners again. You think you could never love the same way again, but the first time we met Dudley, it was pure love.

29 February 2020 was D-day – Dudley day. And home he came. He was a beautiful, brave, bundle of fluff. For the next few weeks, he started to meet the extended family – including Rory, our beautiful grandchild, and Cooper his new doggy bestie. We had just established a routine when things changed.

We were isolated but not alone

Coronavirus and lockdown became the new reality. There we were isolated. No more family, cuddles with the children, eating together, laughing together, being together. We were isolated but not alone.

Amidst the surreal, there was Dudley. Beautiful, innocent, wide-eyed Dudley. Dudley who is growing bigger and bolder every day and who believes he rules the roost. In truth, he probably does!

We chose Dudley because there was a connection, we couldn’t say what at the time, but now we think we know. It feels like he was coming to us for reason. None of us knew what was to come and somehow, he came to fill the void. This year will be defined in history by the coronavirus, but for us, it will be defined by the year Dudley came to save us.