Life hasn’t always been easy for Shauna, but luckily every day has been a little bit sunnier since Mango came along

I have severe endometriosis and fibromyalgia and had to have a full hysterectomy three years ago at age 32. I have no children and unfortunately will be unable to have any now. My mental health suffered as a result of this and other ongoing chronic illnesses, so in July 2021, I adopted Mango from Romania using a charity called EuroPaws.

I saw one photo of her prior to her arriving from Romania, and I went to collect her at 4am, straight from the van she’d just spend four days travelling in. Out came the most beautiful girl, and as soon as I had her in my arms, I fell madly in love with her. From that day ‘til now, 13 months later, I can honestly say every day has been better because of her.

Every day has been better because of her

She has such a wonderful personality and has bonded with me so completely that people comment on it regularly. She is my best friend and my reason to get up in the morning. She sleeps in the funniest positions, gets beyond excited when she sees her doggy friends, talks to me in grumble noises when it’s time for us to go to bed and LOVES a walking adventure.

She goes everywhere with me. We love to explore all over Scotland, and she adores lying in her bed in the passenger seat of the car while I drive. She’s the laziest dog in the mornings and has been known to not go for a pee until 5pm because she’s too lazy to walk down the stairs. She also has huge ears to match her huge personality and everyone who meets her falls in love with her.

I truly feel she was meant to be mine and we’re so perfectly suited to each other. She really is my child replacement, and I wouldn’t be without her now. She’s my happy place!

From her clumsy nature to her friendship with the family kitten, Wulfwynn has brought endless joy, love and laughter to Em’s life

Wulfwynn enhances the lives of myself, my husband and our young son with her affection and antics. As an Irish Wolfhound, she is completely unaware of her size, and clumsiness is definitely the order of the day. She trips over her own legs, bumps into things, and insists on trying to sit on our laps, despite being far taller than I am on her hind legs, let alone our son!

She can be a bit of a mess too, always emerging from the woods covered in leaves and twigs! However, all this awkwardness disappears when she reaches the ferns on the edge of the woods during our daily walks. Then, she flies like a bird, leaping and bounding through the undergrowth – a thing of beauty and elegance.

She insists on trying to sit on our laps, despite being far taller than I am on her hind legs

She is particularly funny with our Bengal kitten. They are definitely partners in crime. Montmorency the kitten knocks things off the piano so that Wulfwynn can chew them! They chase each other round the garden, play-fight (Montmorency giving as good as he gets), and then curl up together.

One morning, when Montmorency was still a tiny kitten, and Wulfwynn was already coming into her full size, we came down to find that we had accidentally shut both animals in the kitchen together overnight. Wulfwynn was lying on the hard floor, looking aggrieved, while the kitten was sprawled luxuriously on the huge dog bed, looking smug with satisfaction! Such joy, such love, and so many laughs!

Rebecca’s days are always happy when they’re spent with her dog Annie

Annie is my beautiful best buddy. She is loyal, cheeky and always right by my side. Annie spends her days with me and my horse, and we pass manyhappy hours exploring the beautiful Scottish countryside together. Of course, Annie loves to steal the horse’s carrots given half a chance!

We pass many happy hours exploring the Scottish countryside

At night, we retire to the sofa for snuggles, where we’ll usually end up watching her favourite film, the Lion King. I’m so grateful to have her as my best friend.

When Elizabeth rescued Milo, little did she know that he would become the inspiration behind her own dog treat business

In August last year, I stumbled across a photo on social media of a little puppy. He had been found with his siblings on the streets of Bosnia and was looking for his forever home. I had thought for a long time about getting a second dog as my older dog is 12 years old and I wanted some company for both of us. After getting through the rehoming process, I was told I had been picked to rehome Milo.

When I picked him up, a lady walked round the corner with a ball of ears and legs in her arms and instantly I fell in love! Almost a year later and he has led to the most amazing transformation of my life. Before I got Milo, I was withdrawn, anxious, socially awkward, depressed and searching for something.

He has led to the most amazing transformation of my life

Now, I adore going out on adventures with Milo, and he has also triggered my biggest adventure yet. My other dog, Holly, has severe allergies so we were always limited with treats and food. So, when training Milo, a young street dog who is food motivated, I needed to find something they could both have. This led to me finding my passion for making dog treats, and my business was born – Liz's Pet Bakery.

Milo is now chief taste tester and official cuddler! During the week I work full time and at the weekend we regularly attend craft fairs, dog shows and food festivals to showcase our treats. Milo meets and greets all the pups whilst operating his own cuddle booth.

We are now both more confident, social, happy and content and he really did change my life for the better. Although we’ve had low points (and I’ve gone through two carpets and six broadband cables), nothing could've prepared me for the transformation this little lad could bring me. I am proud to say I rescued him, and he wants for absolutely nothing!

Liz’s dog Honey is quite unusual, but that’s what makes her so special

We rescued Honey when she was just three months old. She has a very unique personality and hates all other female dogs but is very friendly with people.

She has a very unique personality

Honey has kept my husband and I sane during lockdown, and together we’ve discovered new walks and how therapeutic it can be to spend time outdoors. Honey is getting old now and so we can’t walk as far as we usedto, but we still have a lot of fun together. She loves playing ball and especially enjoys being around water.

Honey also has a cheeky side and is not afraid to let you know when she wants food!

Catherine and her family were told they wouldn’t ever be able to train Lola, but she went on to defy everyone’s expectations

Lola is the light in the family. She greets you with cuddles and barks when you walk in the door like you’ve not seen her for 10 years.

If you’re having a bad day, she cheers you up. She always knows when something’s wrong. And even when she’s been for a four-mile walk, the squeaky toys come out as soon as she gets home.

Lola is a rescue dog, and we were told we wouldn’t be able to train her or walk her off-lead. Now she always walks without a lead, sits at the curb before crossing and stops on the country lane when she hears a car.

She always knows when something’s wrong