Maisie takes it upon herself to look after everyone, her owner Louise and their pet guinea pigs included!

Maisie is a loving, sociable dog. Even though she has doggy dementia, she still adores life and loves long walks, body boarding and rock pooling! I love going with her and watching her snorkel – once she even caught a crab!

She treats our guinea pigs like her puppies

She also loves little kids and treats our guinea pigs like her puppies, grooming them and sharing (or stealing) the veg from their plates as she loves sprouts! She will do a repertoire of tricks if you don’t give her a treat.

She is intelligent, stubborn and intuitive and can identify when my partner is in pain to the point when she will lie against her back and refuse to move when she has a flare up. Maisie has also helped me through tough times, allowing me to gradually get from agoraphobic to being able to go out with her by my side.

With her faithful best friend Molly by her side, Carole could never feel lonely

Molly is a beautiful Pembroke Corgi, and my best friend. I’m 80 years old and live alone. Without Molly, I think I’d really struggle. She always sticks close and never leaves me alone – I even have to leave the bathroom dooropen when I shower so she can make sure I’m ok!

She gives me so much love and comfort

She gives me so much love and comfort, so I’m never lonely. I think she understands me when I talk to her. When we’re out walking, she greets everyone and expects them to give her a stroke, even if they’re a total stranger. Having Molly has certainly helped me make some new friends.

Working from home can get lonely sometimes, but Brittany knows she’ll always have Indy to keep her company.

Indy is a huge part of my life, even though he's only been with us for four months! He's an important part of our family and I couldn't imagine life without him

This year, I’ve been working from home all day, while my partner still goes into his office. It can get lonely sometimes, but Indy is always there to put a smile on my face, whether that be by zooming around the house or playing tug of war with me!

Always there to put a smile on my face

Indy is very well trained. He’ll always sit on command and is often complimented for his politeness and charm (if he sees a woman walking towards him when we're out, he always sits for her!). He really is the best thing that’s has ever happened to us.

Rio the rescue dog is Lesley’s best friend – and now the support he offers her has been extended to struggling schoolchildren through the Pets as Therapy charity

Rio is a rescue dog who was found as a stray in Wales around eight years ago. He got taken to a high-kill shelter where he would have been put down after 14 days if no one claimed him. Luckily, a worker at the shelter contacted a rescue centre who took him in.

I rehomed Rio after seeing his beautiful picture on the rescue centre’s web page. When I met him for the first time, he lay down at my feet and looked up at me with these big brown eyes and I decided then and there he was the dog for me. Rio had obviously been abused in the past as he would cower at the sight of boots and sticks, and would even be frightened of pats on his head. With patience and love, he is now no longer living in fear and enjoys a life of luxury!

Rio is the gentlest, goofiest soul there is

Rio is the gentlest, goofiest soul there is. He very quickly became my best friend and has greatly supported my mental and physical health over the past eight years. Throughout the pandemic, he kept me company and never failed to cheer me up even when things got really tough.

Around six years ago, I came across the Pets as Therapy charity and I decided to see if Rio would be a suitable candidate to become a PAT dog. He passed the assessment with flying colours and he now accompanies me to school once a week where he supports children with literacy difficulties and those who are struggling with their mental health. Crucially, his visits have also taught children how to treat animals with respect, how to care for them and he has even helped five pupils overcome their fear of dogs.

When owner Pamela had a nasty fall, Dave the pug and Ed the Shar Pei teamed up for a simply astonishing rescue effort

On 7 July this year, I had a twist of my left ankle, fell and hit my back off a wall. I have MS and I use a stick but wasn’t doing anything stupid – just watching my two dogs play, turned around and that was it.

My son works from home and had just gone upstairs, so I knew I was in trouble as no one could have heard me. Dave my pug is trained to pick things I drop up, but I hadn’t dropped anything, so I told them to go get my son. They ran into the kitchen and stood barking but my son just kept working thinking they were playing.

It had started to rain and I knew I was in trouble as I couldn’t move and my breathing had become very shallow. In between them running in and out, I asked them to get my phone but it wasn’t on the floor so Dave was confused. I know Ed my Shar Pei loves the furry toy on my phone, so I asked him to get it.

Dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs

By now I’d been lying on the path for 20 minutes and knew I had done something bad. Ed came over and I could move my head, so I held onto him and he slowly pulled me towards the backdoor. He then lifted my phone but dropped it as he wasn’t really allowed to touch it, but then Dave grabbed it and gave it to me.

I texted “help fallen” and down my son came. He called 999, and when the medics saw me, they too knew I’d done something. They thought I’d punctured a lung, but after getting IV morphine I was somehow into the ambulance and blue lighted to hospital.

I’d broken my ankle and my back, and was in hospital for seven weeks, then got home needing carers, nurses and physios. I’m on the way to better health now, but dear knows how long I’d have been out in the rain without my two super dogs.

Cheeky chappy McLaren helps his owner Vicky to keep her independence, and always puts a smile on her face

McLaren is a Canine Partner Assistance Dog, so not only is he a great companion, but he is a brilliant help to me in my everyday life. He picks up dropped items, lends me a paw when I’m doing the washing and even gives me more confidence when we go out and about.

He’s such a cheeky chap

Everyone loves McLaren, he’s such a great ice breaker. He’s a cheeky chap, and loves to clown around and make you laugh. He also has a penchant for gloves and socks, and will happily steal them and parade round the house, hoping to be bribed with treats for their safe return!

I’ve been shielding since March and I haven’t been able to go out to the shops or see friends or family, so having McLaren with me has had a huge positive impact on my wellbeing. He cheers me up if I’m feeling lonely, is always up for an adventure and loves playing games of hide and seek or dancing to music. He is my hero.