Leanne and her partner love their fluffy companion, Nova, who brightens up their lives with her adorable quirks.

Nova came into my life at a moment when I really needed something to give me a boost – and she sure did that! Her energy, playfulness and the love she gives my partner and I is second to none.

When she smiles and her tongue hangs out

She loves to go to the park so much that, even just a mention of it and she does a little hop and a skip, then runs off in search of her lead! In the evenings she does her ‘zoomies’, where she runs around in circles then jumps up onto the sofa and flips all the cushions off, which really makes us giggle.

My favourite thing about her is when she smiles and her tongue hangs out of the side of her mouth. I’ve yet to meet someone who isn’t taken in by Nova’s charms. Affectionate, caring, lovable and at times cheeky, she’s the best companion we could ever have and we absolutely adore her.

Since she moved in with Ashlea’s family, Millie’s transformed from a fearful rescue dog to a happy, loving pooch

Millie is a rescue Golden Retriever who has been part of our family for just over a year now, alongside her sister Bella, who is a rescue tortoiseshell cat.

We live in the Forest of Dean so Millie’s absolute favourite thing is long hikes through the forest, where she can run after squirrels and wallow in every muddy puddle, pond and stream she can find.

Millie was a little nervous when we first got her, but now she’ll go up to any person she sees for fuss and cuddles. Unfortunately for her, some people are less keen for cuddles after she’s had a good mud roll.

Millie was previously kept in an outside run and had never been in a house before we brought her home, but she’s now fully adapted to a life of luxury, snoozing on the sofa or our bed! She’s a beautiful, gentle and sweet-souled girl. I may be biased, but to me, she is the dog of the year every year.

To me, she is the dog of the year every year

For Hollie, Cooper is a happy reminder of the two years she spent travelling around Canada

Cooper is everything to us. He came into our lives when we were travelling in Canada and got stuck in a small prairie town during Covid. The lady who ran the local dump (it was so remote there was no bin service!) used to have at least 15 dogs, three cats and a horse. They would run around her farm property and none of them were neutered. So, naturally, when she offered us this little golden mutt (a Chihuahua Jack Russell type), we just said we’d make it work.

A few months later, our immigration fell through, and we had to leave the country. We were devastated. It was something we’d worked towards for so long and leaving was so hard. When we came back, Cooper was immediately our source of comfort and familiarity during a time of culture shock and grieving.

He came from such a specific part of our journey and now he is always with us to symbolise that. He helps us through sad times and knows exactly what to do to cheer us up. He’s the happiest dog of all time (people say it regularly!), so having him around is a blessing.

He has quite a strong set of adorable quirks too. He was born with a natural mohawk that never went away, which is always a great conversation starter with other dog owners. He also has the longest and loudest yawns known to man. For a tiny pup, he’s so full of life!

He’s the happiest dog of all time

Ned’s visual impairment hasn’t stopped him from being a wonderful friend to Lindsay – as well as a fantastic worker

This is Ned, our English springer spaniel. He lost his sight in one eye shortly after he was born due to a detached retina, but it doesn’t stop him from being a brilliant working dog, a great big brother to 18-month-old Flo the springer, and the best companion to our two children.

We wouldn’t be without him

Ned loves exploring new places with his partners in crime by his side. He’s a loyal, loving, high energy bundle of fun. We wouldn’t be without him!

Not only has Freud supported Maria with her own mental health, but he’s now doing the same thing for her psychotherapy clients

I got Freud whilst studying to become a psychotherapist – we were studying Freud at the time. I have bipolar, so from a very young age Freud would support me if I felt low or had a panic attack by snuggling into me. He’s now a registered emotional support dog and comes with me when I see clients from ages 5-18 years old.

He’s a registered emotional support dog

Freud is half Pomeranian and half Chihuahua. He’s full of energy, but also knows when to be calm and cuddly. He loves other people, children and animals and lives with his bunny rabbit brother and sister, Brody and Brienne, who are free to roam my house 24/7. Freud loves them and is really gentle with them, but he does pinch their broccoli in the morning.

Freud loves to come kayaking with us and is a little poser in front of the camera. He has posed for local college students and was amazing at it. Freud has made such a positive impact on my life and now he's doing the same thing for my clients. I can't imagine life without him – he's a little star.

Lynn adopted Etta on the premise that she was trouble, but really, the opposite couldn’t be more true.

Etta used to live with her sister and another family, but they couldn’t cope when the two dogs started to fight. Luckily for me, that meant I got to take her on, and she’s been absolutely amazing.

She’s done everything I’ve asked of her and been a fantastic companion. I can’t bend down easily because of a bad hip, so she helps me around the house by picking up things I drop.

She helps me around the house

She’s even competed and won at HTM (dog dancing) and has learnt all sorts of tricks. She now does scent-work and is enjoying competing at that. She’s also no stranger to the screen, and has been in an episode of Doc Martin, as well as a German and an Australian film.

Best of all, Etta loves long walks and going for a swim. Her love of life has got me through lockdown and her companionship has truly kept me sane.