Even though things haven’t always been smooth, Roma knew almost instantly that Puds was going to fit right into her family.

After our beloved Westie sadly died, we knew we needed to get another dog. Having done a lot of research, we decided to give a retired Greyhound a home.

We went to visit the kennels to take some of the resident Greyhounds for a walk. Just as we were leaving, we felt as though we were being watched. Through the bars was this sad face looking at us with huge brown eyes. We couldn’t resist turning back and taking her for a walk.

I feel so proud of her!

As we walked, Puds suddenly stopped in her tracks and wouldn’t go any further. Confused, my daughter and I realised that she was waiting for my disabled husband to catch up. Of course, we knew there and then she was the one.

The lovely people at the kennels said that when we saw her, she had only been back for half an hour after a week’s unsuccessful placement. Talk about it being meant to be!

We brought her home a year ago now, and it hasn’t been plain sailing – it’s taken time to teach her that other dogs aren’t the enemy (or her lunch!) – but I feel so proud of her when she sits calmly and plays with other dogs.

She loves her cuddles, sleeps at the bottom of our daughter’s bed and is a brilliant personal trainer. She has enriched our lives and is a perfect example of how great it can be to give a dog a second home, even if they aren’t a puppy anymore.

Whether he’s playing with her niece and nephew or checking in on her mum, Riley is loved by everyone in Lisa’s family

Riley is my best friend, and the most loveable, funny dog you could wish to meet. We brought him home when he was a tiny puppy to make sure he would be comfortable with my young niece and nephew.

He's so attentive and caring. He loves other dogs and people, especially my now eight-year-old niece and six-year-old nephew. We walk every day, which I need to do as I’ve had back problems for more than 20 years, and it keeps me moving.

He’s the most loveable, funny dog you could wish to meet

Riley waits at the window for me to come home from work and always lets me know when it's time for his walk. We often visit my mum, who lives a few minutes away, and he pops in to check the house is okay when we get there.

He’s struggled with allergies since he was a baby. They’ve made him quite ill at times, but he’s never let that get him down and he's always up for an adventure. After lots of tests, we now know what to avoid to keep him happy and healthy.

Despite her difficult start in life, Minnie has continued to thrive ever since Debby rescued her from Romania

My little dog is such a brave star and quite deservedly has a big fan club of schoolchildren. They can't wait to gather round and fuss her when I go to our village school to collect my five-year-old grandson.

She sits like a little angel and patiently enjoys all the stroking and oohs and aahs from the boys and girls. One mum was thrilled when her little girl stroked Minnie as she usually has a terrible fear of dogs, so well done to Minnie for being so lovely!

Minnie learned to be brave as a tiny puppy as she was born at the side of a motorway and one of her siblings was actually killed by the traffic. Fortunately, Minnie and her mum were saved and taken to a rescue shelter in Romania, which was safe but rather bleak and cold.

She was born at the side of a motorway

I had been considering a rescue dog for a while and I just knew this little pup was the one for me. Once again, Minnie had to be brave as she spent three days travelling in a small crate from Romania to the UK in January. It must have been gruelling despite the love and care from the marvellous volunteers at the charity.

Since her ordeal, Minnie has blossomed into the sweet, cuddly, gentle, funny and friendly little darling that she is now. She is so funny when she is on her sock-stealing missions. She thinks she’s so clever but she just looks hilarious as she dashes away on her tiny little Queen Anne legs with a pair of socks flapping in her mouth!

She has also started spinning round and round at 100 miles an hour, trying to catch her bushy squirrel tail! And yes, she is a funny shape – a bit of a hairy sausage with stumpy legs and the fluffiest curly tail. But she is a bundle of love and the best little friend anyone could ever want.

Not only has Daisy made Ethel’s life better, but she’s now helping many more people in her local community

Daisy is a toy poodle, and a Dogs Trust girl. I adopted her in October 2020, when she was 11 months old. She hadn't had the best start in life, but since then, my shy little girl has blossomed into a beautiful, confident, intelligent little dog who just loves life.

Once she’d settled into her new life, we attended our local dog obedience classes and Daisy excelled herself, passing her beginners tests with ease. She was awarded her medal, rosette and a lovely crystal plaque for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ in December 2021. In the summer of 2022, she passed her outdoor training test, for which she also received a certificate. Daisy really enjoyed her classes and in December 2022, she passed her intermediate tests and again was awarded a medal and rosette.

Daisy was born to make people smile

One of Daisy's greatest loves is people, so we offered our services at a local adult day care centre, which caters for older folks who attend one or two days per week. They enjoy lunch and companionship in a lovely centre, which provides them with all sorts of entertainment. Most of the elderly visitors once had a pet in their lives but are now too frail to care for one.

They’ve really bonded with Daisy who’s very happy to visit, being the well-behaved young lady she is. She sits on their knees and enjoys cuddles. She was even invited to their Halloween and Christmas parties!

Sometimes the centre has entertainers and Daisy loves these events. At one of them, another day care centre had come along to enjoy the fun. And when they saw how much the elderly folks enjoyed petting Daisy, we were asked if we could visit their centre too. Daisy was born to make people smile, and she does exactly that with the members and staff at the centre.

Though Lucas finds the outside world pretty daunting, he’s always happy when he’s at home with Julie and her family

Lucas is my boy, my shadow and my fur baby, and he means the world to us. He came into our lives when he was 13 months old. We don't know an awful lot about his past, other than he had two previous homes before he found us.

At home, he’s adorable. He’s the funniest, most loving dog who greets us with a happy dance and a smile. When it comes to the outside world, he just doesn't understand it. He becomes anxious, scared and is obviously uncomfortable. We’ve done everything we can to help him through this, but after five years, we’ve decided to just follow his lead.

I always say that Lucas found us

Lucas is happiest as a sofa surfer. He likes nothing more than curling up or stretching out in the sunniest spot. When I’ve been ill, he’s been at my side. When I cry, he comforts me. When we laugh, he gets excited too.

I always say that Lucas found us, and I truly believe he did. It was only when we got him home for the first time that we realised he was born on the day that my mum passed away. He was meant to live with us, support us and love us, and we were meant to return this in abundance. He’s also the reason I started my small business. So, thank you Lucas, my child with four paws.

Jennifer’s daughter was really struggling after she had to leave school due to her autism – but that all changed when Willow came along

My daughter, now 15, has been home-schooled since she was 11. For a little context, she has autism, so secondary school really took a toll on her mental health. The constant overstimulation would leave her tired for days on end. Eventually she couldn't continue at the school, so we had to take her out.

About a year ago, things were getting quite bad. She was barely showering or cleaning herself, she wasn’t leaving the house due to rising anxiety, and she really wasn’t the happy little girl I know and love. She’s always had a connection with animals, and her love for them has been a coping mechanism, so we got her Willow.

We’re currently planning to get her trained to be an assistance dog for my daughter

To say this bettered her life is a massive understatement. Willow is a playful pooch. She’ll bring you a toy anytime to try to get you to play. She loves to play tug with anything. She likes it when we sit on the floor and throw dog biscuits for her to chase and eat. She also enjoys bringing us bones to hold while she chews them – it's often stinky, but it's how she bonds, and we love her for it! She also loves her cuddles, so she’ll curl up on our laps and sleep whenever possible.

Having the extra responsibility of this fluffball in my daughter’s life has helped tremendously. She now leaves the house to walk her, she comes out of her room more to spend time with Willow, and she’s even more confident talking to people with Willow nearby! We’re currently planning to get her trained to be an assistance dog for my daughter. She’s the little superhero we needed.