Rags loves to play and meet new people, and keeps constantly keeps Kathryn on her toes!

Since we got Rags, she’s been through the mill a bit, but you would never know it due to her zest for life!

She’s the most beautiful and sociable dog

She’s the most beautiful and sociable dog – we can’t walk five yards without someone wanting to fuss her. Her favourite things to do are zoomies in the garden (and if I am feeling brave, the local forest) and digging sand on the beach.

She loves being fussed over by members of the public and having play dates with her doggy friends in the village.

Not only has Baxter helped Jenny through her struggles with depression, but now he’s inspired her to start her own business

We adopted Baxter from a rescue around six or seven years ago when he was two years old. He was found abandoned! He is now about nine and he has helped me through bouts of depression which I get from time to time. He knows when I am struggling mentally and doesn't leave my side.

The pure, unconditional love I feel from his cuddles is so healing

The pure, unconditional love I feel from his cuddles is so healing. He is brilliant with the children, and we adore his huge tongue that constantly sticks out of his mouth like a piece of ham! Baxter snores like a tractor, but he still sleeps in our room like a king. He loves his walks and meeting new people – he’s so loving.

Baxter, along with my other dog Lola, have inspired me to bite the bullet and start my new dog walking business, which also benefits my mental health hugely. This has led me to researching dog behaviour, body language and lots more to give my dogs the best possible life, as a thank you for what they do for me every day.

Patrizia and her sister may not know Bonnie’s history, but one thingthey are sure of is her wonderful personality

My twin sister and I already had two dogs in our family when we recently decided to foster another. She’s called Bonnie and she’s just seven months old. We got her from a charity called Underdog, who rescued her from Romania.

Loves making new friends

We don’t know her breed but whenever we go out people love to guess. Most seem to think she’s some sort of Husky, Lurcher and Terrier mix, but the jury’s still out on that one!

Bonnie has something of a sheepdog mentality, and always tries to herd other dogs together. She’s so sociable and loves making new friends. During the day she’s crazy and energetic, but as soon as it gets dark, she loves nothing more than crashing out and curling up on our laps.

Ellie is so intelligent that she managed to lead Patricia and her friend to safety after they got lost in the woods

Ellie is naughty, but smart. She thinks and waits, then grabs the opportunity! She’s so intelligent – she’ll picks up things that I’ve dropped, and even fetch the phone.

She helped my heart to heal after the sudden loss of my Dad, then my beloved dog Megan just five weeks later. She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years.

She has nurtured Maple, our adopted terrified ex-breeder, who had never had a family before. Thanks to Ellie, she is a different dog, and they adore each other. They love to go camping and they can tell when we’re going to get the caravan.

She has been my constant support and loyal companion for 13½ years

Ellie has a fantastic homing instinct. She saved my friend and I from a cold night in the woods a couple of years ago. We had gone for an evening woodland walk, but missed the turn-off and followed the wrong trail.

After four hours trying to find our way back, it was pitch black and we were having to use the torch on my phone, but the battery was nearly spent. By this time, we were totally lost and distressed. We came to a junction of five paths and didn't know where to go.

In tears, I said ‘Ellie, find us the path’. She sniffed around a bit, then set off. We followed her, and lo and behold, 50 yards down the track was a car park! Having found the car park, we were able to walk back to the village. If it hadn't been for Ellie, we could have been there all night in the dark. Clever girl!

Emma’s dog Vincent is a caring companion to all creatures great and small!

Vincent is a Kelpie Hunteraway cross. He’s extremely loving and is always happy to meet new people, even if he does put them off with his barking! He enjoys singing too, and will happily howl along to any tune he hears on TV. He may not be the most talented, but he certainly makes up for it with his determination and the joy he brings us all.

He has many jobs around the house, his latest of which is to keep an eye on our pet rabbits. Vincent reminds us to let them out first thing in the morning, and won’t stop pestering us until we do. You can often find him keeping a watchful eye over them throughout the day.

He happily goes off to fetch any strays

Another of his responsibilities is to round up the chickens and put them to bed in the evening, and he takes this very seriously. He happily goes off to fetch any strays, and sometimes even brings his feathered friends into the house to say hello!

His main job is just to be himself and be a part of our family. He’s been there with us through some difficult times over the past couple of years, and is always there for a hug and a stroke, which will never fail to put a smile back on your face.

Tracy’s adorable dog Monty might have a bit of attitude, but that doesn’t stop him from being gentle and caring, winning over everyone’s heart.

We got Monty just before lockdown this year, after years of talking about having a dog. He was seven months old and a bit of a teenager, but he has changed and enhanced our lives for the better.

He is the sweetest, gentlest dog who has what I firmly believe is a genuine sense of humour. He can tell when I am getting stressed while working from home and will hide his toys under a table or chair and invite me down onto the floor to retrieve them for him. Once I’m there, he’ll happily chew my hair and lick my ears and squirm around to show how pleased he is. I give him back his toy, with a big cuddle and go back to work. Five minutes later the toy is miraculously back in an inaccessible place.

He has even won over our two cats

He has the biggest, best doggy smile (like most Golden Retrievers) and his general exuberance and love for life is infectious. He has even won over our two cats – who were less than impressed that I had brought a big, hairy stranger into their lives!

We recently had a garden redo and the builder made it clear he didn’t like dogs, so we cordoned off the bit of the garden that he was working in. Monty sat politely in a garden chair watching everything and accepting an occasional pat. By the end of the three weeks, the builder was greeting him enthusiastically and stopping by for a proper pet. They are now firm friends – even when Monty was accidentally let into the wrong part of the garden and ended up belly-deep in the freshly poured concrete footings for the wall!

Monty is the heart and soul of my life.