Whether he’s sunbathing, sleeping or showering her with good morning kisses, Ozzie has brought joy to every part of Abby’s life

I have struggled with my mental health for as long as I can remember, and nothing has done more for me than Ozzie. From the minute I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, he brings me so much joy.

Oz is a retired racing Greyhound and, after a lot of training, he's now got great recall and is allowed off lead. Nothing makes me happier than seeing his smiling face as he goes hurtling past me at 40mph with his helicopter tail spinning at full force.

Every morning I wake up to him in my bed (all 100lbs of him). As soon as he hears me say ‘Good morning!’, he attacks me with kisses and throws himself into the cockroach position so I can rub his belly.

From the minute I wake up until the moment I fall asleep, he brings me so much joy

He's obsessed with sunbathing, just like me, and will do it at any opportunity. Two degrees outside? As long as the sun’s, out Oz will be on his sun lounger soaking it up. Out for a walk? Who needs exercise when you can sunbathe!

One of his favourite ways to show affection is by ‘nitting’, where he uses just his front teeth to nibble at me when I'm stroking him. His favourite game is ‘smacky bum’ where I tap his bum like bongos and we chase each other round in circles.

Ozzie goes into a deep sleep about 50 times a day, usually with his mouth agape, tongue hanging out and legs twitching (presumably chasing cats in his dreams). I also suffer from endometriosis and whenever I'm having a flare up, he just knows. He sticks to me like velcro and follows me everywhere.

I could sit and write about him forever. He really is my best friend and has changed my life more than he'll ever know. He gives me a reason to get out of bed each day. I love Oz more than anything and would be totally lost without him.

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.

Frontline worker Jodi got Flo to keep her dad company – and now their world revolves around her.

Flo was an isolation puppy from the Dogs Trust. She came into our lives at just the right time. Both my mum and I are frontline workers caring for the local community. And my dad recently had his right leg amputated after a long battle with cancer. We live in a small secluded village and we were worried about how my dad would cope with being housebound while we were both at work.

In came Flo, with her unusual beagle colours and regal attitude. She fits right in with our older dog Flash and has already become the boss of the house. She’s more interested in snuggling up to my dad on the sofa than playing in the garden. And every Thursday at 9pm she sits on the spot for the clapping for our carers. We all think she believes this round of applause is for her – she even pops a paw up when it’s over!

She came into our lives at just the right time

She loves her home comforts and drags her blanket with her everywhere she goes. She’s always ready for nap o’clock. But most of all she loves tummy rubs. She is now 14 weeks’ old and celebrating her fourth week with the family who love and spoil her far too much already.

When I asked the family what their favourite thing about Flo was everyone was in agreement: it was her love of carrying a stick on every walk, especially when they’re three times the size of her and too heavy to carry.

It’s Flo’s world really, we just live in it.

Jon loves nothing more than fossil hunting with his furry companions, Poppy and Sam

Poppy and Sam are my beach-walking adventure buddies. We live in rural Somerset on the Jurassic Coast and go for walks daily, for both fitness and fun. I’m a keen photographer and amateur fossil hunter (as well as a professional psychiatric nurse).

My beach-walking adventure buddies

Poppy is a great fan of muddy, wet walks and they both love to run around Bristol Channel Beach, playing in rock pools and waiting for me to turn over rocks to see what we find. It’s great fun chasing eels through rock pools, though we’re yet to actually catch one.

Poppy is good at picking up small, flat stones for me – she once even brought me a small ammonite fossil! In the photo, you can see both of them with a 197-million-year-old Ichthyosaur fossil we found while playing on Stolford Beach.

Johanna thought that life with her dog Dotty couldn’t get any better, but the arrival of Mo proved that you can never have enough puppy love!

We have had Dotty the Cockerpoo since she was eight weeks old, and I can honestly say she has made me laugh daily for 11 years! She is a great guard dog, barking at any potential murderer that might walk past the house (who'd have known little old ladies and postmen were such a threat) even though she would only lick them to death. One tickle of the tummy and she is anyone's! If you approach her when she's lay down she raises her paws for a tummy tickle.

She used to be so fast! I'd let her off her lead and off she'd go! Twice she has walked away from the house unseen and taken herself to the field where I walk her! She's old and poorly now, and is very slow and less agile. But she still 'smiles' when I get in from work and puts her arms round my neck for a cuddle. Her favourite thing is - food!

They complete our family

Dreading when she can no longer have a good life we recently rescued a Romanian dog, Mo. He is so naughty but so cute! He is the only dog Dotty has ever had to compete with, and she is usually jealous of other dogs getting my attention – but not with Mo! He is the cuddliest dog and sits so close to you, if not on you, the whole time. They play together so it's nice company for Dot, and she keeps Mo in his place.

A house is not a home without a dog. When they went to be groomed the house was eerily silent and felt wrong. They complete our family and provide good therapy for my daughter who suffers from extreme anxiety. Dogs give unconditional love and their faces are so expressive. They know if they're being told off, they know what to do to get a treat. They are bonkers, like us, and I would not be without my special little guys.

Despite Lulu’s barking, shedding and laziness, Rob and his family couldn’t imagine life without her

This is Lulu. We got her from a rescue centre a few years ago after she'd clearly had quite a rough time with a breeder who'd definitely over-bred her. She just looked so sad when we saw her, and the kids fell in love with her on the first meeting.

She thinks she's a lot smaller than she is

We'd vowed to get a small to medium-sized dog, and she is NOT that! She's lazy as hell, she sheds everywhere, she barks too much for no reason, she has the most evil farts and she’s now a bit incontinent, but we love her to bits.

We even love it when she climbs up on the sofa between us, when there clearly isn't enough room for her. She thinks she's a lot smaller than she is, bless her!