Christine is so proud of gentle Milly, who goes above and beyond for her fellow pets

Milly is so loving and friendly. I suffer with depression and she seems to know when I’m not feeling good and will come and put her head on my lap. She is also a real hero because she has donated blood to the pet blood bank on a regular basis since she was two years old – in September just gone she made her 16th donation!

She has donated blood since she was two

She loves holidays by the beach with her other half, Daisy, and she has lots of friends that come to our house for play days. She acts all brave when she thinks she has to, but in reality, she’s a big sissy and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Milly always greets people with one of her toys, although she does do a submissive wee wee at the same time, so I have to tell them to watch their feet! She also loves to swim in any water she comes across on our walks and likes to get very muddy, running through all the puddles.

After spending her whole childhood wishing for a dog, Kate finally got Daisy, and she’s brought nothing but love into her life

For my whole life, I wanted a dog but, despite my protests, my parents never gave in. When I went to visit Daisy, the first thing she did was climb onto me and steal my keys. The breeder and I spent ages trying to get them off her but, being the cheeky madam she is, she was not giving in! In that moment I knew the little monster was mine.

I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm

Daisy is the most loving dog, although she does have an independent streak. She absolutely loves other people – I’ve never met anyone who hasn’t fallen for her charm. When I worked in a girl’s boarding house with children from across the world, she was a lot better at soothing them when they were sad than I was.

Daisy has no dramatic story. She doesn’t know many tricks and she isn’t the most obedient (unless very good treats are on offer!) but I love her to pieces and can’t imagine life without her.

10 days was all it took for the ultimate friendship to blossom between Captain and his owner Danny

I looked after Captain for 10 days while my friend went on holiday, and within those 10 days we built such a great friendship, in the park playing ball, taking pictures.

He was more of a kitchen dog and stayed in the hallway at my friend’s, but I had him on my lap, sleeping next to me in my bed with loads of cuddles. When my friend came back and I had to give my new best friend back, I was in bits crying like a baby. That night I felt so lonely and sad. I missed the little man so much, the next day at work I had to ask how Captain was. “He’s OK but seems a tad sad,” they said.

Apparently he started to whine and howl a lot and would not get out of his bed – he was heartbroken. The following day my friend approached me and said “would you like to have Captain back for good?” Now at this time captain was 11 years old, but those 10 days changed his life. It was a dream come true: “yes yes yes I want him!”

I had to wait two days before I could collect him. The days dragged but Sunday finally came. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get him, and when he saw me he came running and jumping at me. He could not wait to come back. He’s now 16 and won’t leave my side, cuddles me all the time, and he actually smiles in his sleep. He changed my life so much, he’s my best most loyal friend. He helps with my mental health and gives me a reason to make my life better!

He actually smiles in his sleep

From the moment Beth saw Teddy, she knew he was going to be part of her family

Teddy came into the vets where I work needing a home. My little girl had been desperate for a dog for so long, and I knew straight away he was theone for us.

I knew straight away he was the one for us

We brought him home just before the first lockdown and he is the best thing that could have happened to us. He became my daughter’s best friend and helped her get through a really tough time. He also gets us out for walks in all weathers, which has been amazing for our fitness. He is like a snuggly little bear, and we feel like the luckiest dog owners in the world.

Poppy is at the centre of Rosemary’s household, whether she’s looking out for the kids or making everyone laugh

Our Poppy has become the life and soul of our home, even though she’s afraid of the cat. She encourages us to discover local beauty spots we never knew existed, and we’ve set ourselves the challenge of exploring more this year and getting to know our country better.

Poppy is best friends with our four-year-old, as well as our teenage sons, for whom she acts like a therapy dog. It’s crazy how she seems to be so completely in tune with the kids.

She seems to be so completely in tune with the kids

Our eldest son and his family adore her too, and marvel at how protective she is over our one-year-old grandson. She always pushes herself between him and the cooker or lays across the stairs in case he gets hurt.

True to Cockapoo character, she’s as daft as a brush, always bringing you toys to throw. She loves people and is still working out the kinks of dog training. We just couldn’t be without her, and no matter how tough your day, she makes sure you know you’re valued and important.

Kylo always knows exactly what his owner Suzanne needs, whether it be love, a helping hand or just a reason to smile

I have Muscular Dystrophy and am in a wheelchair, so I wasn’t sure how a puppy would fit into our lives initially, but I knew I wanted the love and companionship only a furry friend could provide.

Kylo is now one year old and has already exceeded all of my expectations. He is such a loving dog and is never happier than when he’s sitting with us and getting lots of attention. He is very sensitive to my disability and will sit by my legs as though protecting me from the world (something he doesn’t do to anyone else). He also sits and waits patiently whenever I go past in my wheelchair, and even seems to sense when my feet and legs are painful.

He has brought such love, joy and affection

He has recently learnt to bring me my socks when I ask him to, after many months of grabbing them and taking off! We all utterly adore him, and he has brought such joy, love and affection into our family life.

Whenever you enter room, he will always greet you with a very enthusiastic tail wag – we call it the helicopter. He’s so smart and learnt all his commands and tricks in no time. Although, despite his intelligence, he is still absolutely terrified of the microwave!