Thanks to her dog Nora, Lorna has reclaimed her life and discovered a new sense of happiness

Nora is the dog that saved my life. When I was 27, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of arthritis and was in constant pain. Small tasks such as putting on my socks became difficult, and had it not been for Nora, I think I would have given up.

Because of my dog, I have a purpose

She was always there for me, helping me through the pain and giving me a reason to carry on. Taking her on walks got me up and out in the morning. It took me almost a year to be officially diagnosed and then another year to get the right medication so that the pain was tolerable. I’ve had to give up so much since then, but Nora has remained by my side throughout it all.

If I’m having a bad pain day she seems to know and will do something silly just to make me smile. On good days, we enjoy going out together and taking in the fresh air. Nora has given me back the dreams I thought I’d lost. Because of my dog, I have a purpose. With her by my side, I can take on any challenge that life throws at me. We’ll get through it together.

Jenny loves Clyde for many reasons, especially the way he takes care of her mum

Clyde is 12 years old, but he’s been part of our family ever since he was a little ball of fur. My dad passed away nearly 2 years ago now, and Clyde has been the most loyal and loving companion for my mum. I don’t know what she’d do without him.

He loves the rain, playing with his favourite ball and eating yummy snacks. He has arthritis in his legs and so he falls down sometimes, but while his body may be getting old, he still has the mind of a puppy. He’s constantly wagging his tail and ready to play, he’s such a happy boy.

He’s such a happy boy

Clyde enjoys nothing more than stealing your spot on the sofa as soon as you get up. If you leave even for a second, he’ll be lying there waiting for you when you come back. He’s also not keen on getting his photo taken, though he’s really photogenic, and we all utterly adore him. I think he still has the same puppy dog eyes we fell in love with all those years ago.

Joanne is determined to make her dog Roo’s life as happy and fulfilling as possible

Roo is a rescue dog. We adopted him as we felt we could give him a wonderful life here on the Isle of Wight, with all the beaches, parks and the countryside close by.

When we first met Roo, he was hiding under a coffee table. He had sad little eyes and his nose was just poking out. I put my hand down and he sniffed it and licked me. At that stage, I didn’t know he only had two legs, but I did know that he would soon become part of my family.

Living the happy life all dogs should

We wanted to give him the very best life possible despite his injuries and disabilities, so I spent weeks researching what tools could help him to help. We ended up purchasing a purpose-made wheelchair from America. It took him a few weeks to get used to it, but now he’s so happy. Roo loves nothing more than running along the beach, chasing birds and playing with my two Huskies, living the happy life all dogs should.

My dog is strong, loving and loyal, and reminds me every day that life is what you make it.

Nick might have rescued Mille from a shelter, but the favour has more than been returned.

Millie came to us from a rescue shelter based in Romania. She's been a positive influence in our lives in from the day we got her, which seems fitting seeing as she was a gift for my wife to celebrate six months of sobriety.

Mille has been my motivation

I live with a chronic illness called Fibromyalgia. Since diagnosis, my general health and mobility has been declining due to pain and fatigue. Millie has been my motivation to become more active and get out of the house every day. It's such a joy to see her having fun, and she's even enabled me to forge new friendships.

My illness isn't going away, but thanks to Millie, my quality of life has improved immeasurably. She's a rescue dog, but really, she rescued me.

Always there with endless love, Will and Angus are more than just dogs to owner Anita, they are family

My dogs, Angus and Will, are the reason I get up in the morning. They keep me going when things get difficult, make me smile, keep me sane and convince me life is worth living.

I am an elderly, arthritic, asthmatic widow without neighbours or family, not unlike many pensioners in this country. However, the difference is having Angus and Will in my life – they are my family.

I am honoured (Will) has transferred his love and loyalty to me

Angus is a laid-back, rehomed springer with a joint problem who shadows me all day (and night). Even when I’m gardening, he has to lie down at my feet, covering up all the weeds. In the spring, his waving tail ‘picks’ daffodils to take into the house.

Will is a complex rescued sprollie who had a difficult start in life and desperately wants to be loved. His grin is priceless. He was my husband’s companion, happy to do a bit of gardening or DIY. He stayed with my husband before he died, keeping him company and keeping him warm. Now I am honoured that he has transferred his love and loyalty to me.

As her son’s hearing support dog, Anya has given Norma’s family a peace of mind they thought they’d never have.

Anya is a sensitive, loving and intelligent Golden Cocker Spaniel who has been a part of our lives for five years now. She gives every family member their own special attention, but as my son’s hearing support dog, she’s also his best friend. Every morning she starts her day by jumping on his bed, trying to dig him out from under his duvet!

Offering more than just hearing support, Anya also provides him with unconditional love and friendship. She calls him down for dinner by entering his room, nudging him with her wet, black nose and then leading him downstairs. It’s very comforting to know that she’s always there to protect him, especially when he’s asleep at night. If the smoke alarm goes off, for example, she can wake him up and alert him to the danger.

She’ll be there to protect him

 Anya loves her walks and, as a typical Spaniel, she loves to sniff out fox poo! Her favourite human foods are sausages and cheese – if you ever eat them in front of her, she always looks at you with the biggest brown eyes, trying to get you to share them. She also adores playing frisbee, always running after it and bringing it back for us to throw again.

She’s our first dog, and every day we are thankful for the love and support she gives us. Suffering from hearing loss can sometimes mean that people shy away from you, but with Anya around people are actually drawn to us.

When I look at her asleep on the sofa, I understand why dogs like to sleep a lot – it’s because when they’re awake, they devote all of their energy to looking after their humans.