Rosie makes every day brighter for Jane and her family

Rosie, who was born on the summer solstice, lights up the room without saying a word. She’s at her happiest when she’s running along the beach chasing the birds, though she never actually catches any. Rosie loves to skip over rocks and never slips, no matter how much seaweed there is.

She’s ginger, fluffy and loyal

She’s ginger, fluffy and loyal, and our whole family absolutely adores her. All of us have a picture of her saved as our screensaver, and she’s definitely the favourite family member. She’s taught us love, loyalty and trust and that’s something we will always be grateful for.

Lucy’s dog Dexter is so good at trouble-making, he actually became famous!

Dexter is a master of destruction. We’ve dubbed him with the nickname ‘Choppers McGee’, and his vet and the nurses call him ‘Dexter Naughty Pants’!

You may be wondering how he’s earnt himself this reputation. Well, at just 14 weeks old, he managed to eat the earpiece from our son’s headset and ended up in emergency surgery. It was about the size of a ring donut, so it’s quite incredible that he swallowed it in the first place. On that day, the CBBC crew from the TV show ‘Pet’s Factor’ happened to be filming. After hearing about Dexter’s antics, they decided to run a story on him – they even turned him into a cartoon character called ‘DJ Rex’!

They even turned him into a cartoon character

Regretfully, the experience hasn’t made him any more sensible. Watching his own exploits on the TV seems only to have motivated him further, and recently he tried upgrading to swallowing a pair of socks. Of course, it didn’t work and he soon returned them, covered in slobber. He seems to have developed a fondness for shoes in general, and now enjoys chewing flip flops as well as the occasional nibble on the garden hose.

He may be naughty, but Dexter is also incredibly smart, and has learnt to open the patio doors from both the inside and the outside. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll come indoors though when asked though – he’ll usually stay outside until we lure him in with a treat!

Dexter is a fabulous, goofy, one-of-a-kind dog who is a very much-loved addition to our family.

Jacqui’s life was turned upside down when her husband was diagnosed with COVID-19. But thankfully Pepsi has been there every step of the way.

Pepsi is a 9-month-old female border collie. We knew that she was a great dog, but she really proved that when Walt, my ambulance technician partner, got COVID-19. I'm a community nurse so I looked after him at home for four days. Pepsi sat on the decking below his bedroom window listening to him cough. He was so ill that he was unable to move. She couldn't understand what was happening.

After four days, he really deteriorated and was admitted to a hospital 80 miles away. I was lost. I didn't know if I'd ever see him again alive. I didn't want to get up – the days were too long and scary. However, I knew Pepsi needed me so we sat in the garden and played ball. If I cried after seeing Walt on a videocall she would jump up and cuddle me.

Life is on the up again

Walt began to give up the fight in the hospital. He hated being away from us and he was so ill with the constant cough and fatigue. We sent videos of the dog and encouraged him to stay strong so he could come home to his ‘therapet’ (we always called her that). When he was finally discharged, she rarely left his side and I know he needed her every bit as much as he needed me to nurse him.

Now, Pepsi is his reason to fight the fatigue and get out. She has recently learned to swim, so we go places where Walt can just sit and watch her play.

I know every dog is their owner’s best friend but Pepsi is an ace dog who has really earned her ‘therapet’ nickname. We love her. She loves us. Life is on the up again.

Donna adores how kind and attentive her dog Milo is, especially towards her daughter and grandmother

Milo is such a happy soul who makes everyone smile. He helped my daughter through a tough time at school and he also assists me in caring for my elderly grandmother. He’s so slow and gentle around her, and my gran adores him so much she even spoon feeds him!

Milo knows the sound of the ice cream van

As a dog who loves his food, Milo knows the sound of the ice cream van and will sit and wait for it to come round. He also visits the local coffee shop and manages to charm the staff into giving him sausages! Milo is such a loving and good-natured dog, and we would never be without him.

Archie loves taking his owner Phoebe (and his duck toy) on new adventures.

Archie went into the RSPCA at just three months old after his owner had abused and neglected him. He had broken his back leg, which was left to heal naturally, so he now has one leg slightly shorter than the rest, but he’s still a happy boy!

When we met him, we fell in love with him instantly

When we met him, we fell in love with him instantly and couldn't wait to bring him home. He’s incredibly intelligent and will run for hours, so he’s a handful but a very fun one at that! We spend a lot of time hiding treats, playing puzzle games and finding new exciting walks for him to run and sniff to his heart’s desire! He’s such a loving dog considering his difficult start in life – he loves people and other dogs. His favourite things in life are his duck toy, his bone, laying out in the sun and exploring new places.

We’re not sure if he’s ever been to the coast and I just know he would love it! Anything new is so exciting for him, so we’d love the opportunity to take him away for a mini break and experience beach walks. Holidays have changed for us and we’re excited to explore more of the UK with Archie in tow instead of travelling abroad.

Sarah is so proud of the way her dog Ringo always looks out for others

Ringo is my eight-year-old rescue Greyhound. He is a very kind, loving dog and has really helped me with my mental health. We go on a lot of walks together, which has also improved my fitness.

Really helped me with my mental health

Up until the end of last year, he was a blood donor at the Royal Vet College, and I'm so proud of him for helping out other dogs in need. He is a wonderful companion to me and such a happy lad. As an ex-racer, he has a lot of energy, but with a lot of love and training he will now happily and calmly share a sofa with any of our three cats.

He really has been my rock, especially during these strange times.