Joanne is determined to make her dog Roo’s life as happy and fulfilling as possible

Roo is a rescue dog. We adopted him as we felt we could give him a wonderful life here on the Isle of Wight, with all the beaches, parks and the countryside close by.

When we first met Roo, he was hiding under a coffee table. He had sad little eyes and his nose was just poking out. I put my hand down and he sniffed it and licked me. At that stage, I didn’t know he only had two legs, but I did know that he would soon become part of my family.

Living the happy life all dogs should

We wanted to give him the very best life possible despite his injuries and disabilities, so I spent weeks researching what tools could help him to help. We ended up purchasing a purpose-made wheelchair from America. It took him a few weeks to get used to it, but now he’s so happy. Roo loves nothing more than running along the beach, chasing birds and playing with my two Huskies, living the happy life all dogs should.

My dog is strong, loving and loyal, and reminds me every day that life is what you make it.

Skye’s impaired hearing doesn’t stop her from living her best life with Alison and her family

Skye is a Border Collie who was born deaf. As she was unable to work the sheep, she was handed over to a shelter as a puppy for rehoming. We have three other rescue Border Collies so we knew she would feel safe with us.

No one notices Skye is deaf – they just see a happy, healthy, loving dog

She was in Northern Ireland at the time, so the adoption agency arranged for her to travel to us in Wales. Sadly, Covid hit and we had to wait seven months until she could travel. But we were so excited when she finally arrived.

Skye is now part of our family, and she makes us laugh every day. Her birthday is 1st January, so it’s always a happy new year. She sleeps on the back of the sofa and regularly falls asleep on her nose. She also understands sign language and loves her twice daily walks through the woods, where she’s able to run free of the lead. No one notices Skye is deaf – they just see a happy, healthy, loving dog.

Katie wasn’t a dog-person until she met Bear, the adorable pooch who brings even more joy to her life

I'll start by saying I didn't really want a dog. My husband had wanted one for so long, however I felt that it was an extra responsibility and commitment that we didn't really need – but then I met Bear.

He’s lifted me up when I’ve felt sad

Bear is my best friend. He's lifted me up when I’ve felt sad, helped me cope with stress and brought even more joy to my life during the happiest times – like on holiday, where he adapted naturally to life as the resident camp pooch.

We're incredibly close to the owners of his sister Dolly, and our two dogs share an incredible amount of traits. They're both inseparable, bonkers and completely ball mad!

One of Bear’s funniest traits is the way he bounces for his breakfast. It's like he gets so excited to eat that he starts dancing – a breakfast boogie, so to speak. Bear really is the most wonderful dog and the best friend a girl could wish for!

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.

Ellie and Cher have been supporting each other in equal measure since the 2020 lockdown

Cher has been a massive influence in my life. I adopted her from Romania in the first national lockdown in May 2020. Although it took a lot of patience for her to become completely comfortable with me, the bond we have now is incredible.

She provides comfort to anyone who needs it

Whenever she's frightened, she seeks me for comfort, and whenever I feel ill or low, she is there ready to cuddle up to me. She has also proven that she is a brilliant therapy dog as she provides comfort to anyone who needs it. I have truly been blessed with such a caring dog.

Even though she is so good, she does have her cheeky quirks like sneakily calculating ways to pinch food off the table when she thinks you’re not looking, or acting cute in front of my grandad who has dementia to get as many treats as she can.

Doris supported Alice through her struggles with depression, and now she continues to fill her life with love and laughter

Doris is my rock. She is the four-legged love of my life and my absolute best friend. She was by my side through my depression and just understood – she knew I needed her.

She was, and still is, my reason to get out the house each day, even though she is a complete princess and HATES wind and rain. She’s the reason I laugh and smile so much.

She is the four-legged love of my life

She’s also a complete sass queen and will always refuse to leave the beach. She’ll walk round any puddle and go to extreme lengths to avoid mud, but will charge straight into the sea!

Doris will shred a tennis ball in seconds, but will treasure any cuddly toy for months – or years. Her favourite game is chase but, if no one’s around to play, she’ll take a toy to the top of the stairs and launch it down by herself on repeat!