Life hasn’t been kind to Laura for the past few years, but Pippa has always given her a reason to keep going

Pippa entered our lives, like a hurricane, in June 2021. We had all had our lives tipped upside down by Covid, and to top it all off, my partner Pete was diagnosed with terminal cancer. This was an enormous shock, as he had never had anything more than a mild cold in our 21 years together.

We’d recently heard about a five-month-old Patterdale Jack Russell who had been purchased by a family for their 17-year-old son during lockdown. Unfortunately, after six weeks or so, the son had completely lost interest in her, and she needed a new home. We hadn't been looking for a new best friend at the time, as we’d lost our elderly Parsons Jack Russell the year before. And what with Pete’s diagnosis, and me being on the waiting list for a new knee, we really weren't in the best place to take on a very lively young dog.

I am convinced this little doggy was sent to us from heaven

We discussed all the pros and all the cons and thought to ourselves ‘surely we can’t be this daft?!’ But we eventually decided that life is too short, and we needed someone to make us laugh, comfort us when we needed a cuddle and help us to face the world every day. Boy, oh boy, did we find the right medicine. Pippa is the funniest, cheekiest, most adorable, best friend we could ever have hoped for. Pete passed away five months ago, and I am convinced this little doggy was sent to us from heaven. She has saved my life. She’s my rock and my reason to carry on.

Right now, as I tell you my little story, I am in a hospital bed with my brand-new knee, missing Pippa very much. I’m missing the way she sits across my chest so she can feel my heartbeat, and the way she uses hypnotherapy when she thinks she deserves a treat. She won't be missing me right now though, as she’s having an amazing, thoroughly deserved holiday on the beach. She’ll be running through the woods, swimming in the river and probably getting covered in mud. And we’ll be doing all those things together from here on in, for many years to come.

Ruby and her dog Tony are total opposites – and that makes them the perfect companions

Tony, a scruffy little Brussels Griffon pup, has completely changed my life since I brought him home four months ago. As a visibly physically disabled person, I was always aware of people looking at me when I was out and about, but now it's Tony who gets all the attention – which both he and I love!

He brings a smile to my face

He's given me a reason to get up and out in the morning. He brings a smile to my face every time I look at him, even when he appears with my shoes, socks or even my coat in his mouth, and I cannot imagine life without him.

He's a real 'Velcro' dog and I wouldn't have him anywhere other than right by my side – even when his chosen sleeping place at night is on my head!

As a vicar, Jane spent much of the pandemic alone with her responsibilities weighing heavily on her shoulders, but Lily always helped lighten the load

Lily was adopted from Labrador Rescue North West in October 2009 at approximately two years old. The first few months were really challenging as she had chronic separation anxiety. After I helped her settle, she began to mend my broken heart following the death of my previous 14-year-old Labrador six weeks earlier.

I am a vicar and live on my own. Lily is always ready to cuddle and listen when I have faced a challenging pastoral encounter. She’s a really good timekeeper and when I’m busy with work, she will come and put her head on my knee when it’s time for walkies, as if to say ‘Take me out, I'm way more interesting than your computer’.

Lily’s also good when I have work meetings as she welcomes people, makes them feel at ease and offers cuddles when they’re upset. Pastoral walks can sometimes make it easier for people to talk about difficult things and Lily always comes along on those.

During the pandemic, Lily was what kept me going

During the pandemic, I struggled with anxiety. I felt the weight of my responsibility for those in my care, and I had no physical human contact for months as I live alone. Lily was what kept me going. She was my reason to go out daily, and those walks in nature when we couldn't go anywhere else were so important for my mental health.

Lily is a typical Labrador and will eat anything, which is not necessarily a good thing as she has a wheat allergy. She seemingly goes deaf on a walk if she's found something disgusting that she is enjoying eating or rolling in! She also loves water, the muddier the better.

Lily is now 12 and beginning to struggle with arthritis, but she will still play like a baby when she meets up with another of her canine friends. Just this week she had me laughing as she frolicked through a field of buttercups trying to instigate play with a three-year-old spaniel, who was too busy following her nose to join in.

Amy and her dog Alfie have both faced their own difficulties in life, but now they can always rely on each other for support

My dog Alfie (aka Alfred, Alfie Moo, Moose or Moosey) is my best friend. I was approached by a rescue service who desperately needed an urgent foster for him. After a month, I knew we had the most amazing bond, so I adopted him.

At the time I was getting my life back together after a tricky couple of years and Alfie became such a massive part of that journey. When the country went into lockdown and I was living away from my family, I was so glad to have him with me!

I feel so honoured that I can give him a loving home

He's still a nervous dog, but he's so clever and I feel so honoured that I can give him a loving home. He never lets me lie in, and he insists on walkies first thing in the morning, even on a day off! That is unless it’s raining, when he quickly turns back round for home.

He's grown to trust and love my parents and partner. He's also the biggest cheese fiend and can smell it from a mile away. While he doesn't like the car, he always enjoys our adventures out and about.

I'm proud I get to come home to Moose every day. I don't know what he went through before he came to me (and I don't want to know), but he's an inspiration!

After being rescued from her abusive trainer, life has only got better for Dora since she joined Claire’s family

Dora was rescued by the RSPCA in September 2022, and came into our lives when we adopted her in May 2023. She had survived starvation and neglect at the hands of her trainer, who was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison and given a lifetime ban from owning animals.

Dora is a sweet, bright and affectionate baby. She’s quite the comedian and wakes us up every morning by howling in our faces. She loves to 'curtsy' to greet people when they come into the house. She lightens up our work calls by laying on her back behind us and pulling goofy faces.

I want to give her as many experiences as I can to make up for her life before

Her favourite trick at the moment is to jump as high as she can when we leave the house on our walks. She also likes to outrun her best friend, Jadzia the German Shepherd, and play chase with her.

To me, Dora is an inspiration. She’s a reminder than no matter what you go through in life, you can't stop and wallow in misery. She’s a brave girl who genuinely loves humans and craves attention and affection. She makes my life better and I love thinking about the happy days I will give her.

She inspires me to look after myself, so that I can look after her. I’ve been to places I never would have gone, just because I want to give her as many experiences as I can to make up for her life before. She’s the best decision I've ever made.

Resilient rescue collie cross Holly has brought owner Kathryn 15 years of joy.

We brought our rescue dog Holly, a collie cross, home on 17 December 2005 when she was about one year old. She was very jumpy and bouncy and her tail wagged in a circle. 14 years later she's a grand old lady and has to cope with an awful lot.

She's the love of my life

She has fatty lumps which make it uncomfortable to lie down, she has a sebaceous cyst on her neck which she lets us clean and bandage, under sufferance, every day. She is losing her hearing but has adapted quickly to hand gestures instead. She has arthritis, she has episodes of vestibular disease and recently we have discovered that she has heart disease too. So these days she isn't so jumpy and bouncy, but she's still so affectionate and loving, faithful, gentle, placid, laid back and beautiful.

She'll still rip the post up if she gets there first and can be stubborn and contrary. She doesn't like the rain, and she's happiest exploring the garden, eating her tea or her favourite game sausages, sleeping or having big cuddles. She loves being pampered at the groomers, which is a real treat for her that she thoroughly deserves. She's a real battler and as long as she's got her favourite things – and all her medication – she's happy. She's the love of my life.