Tan’s dog Sally didn’t have the best start in life, but she still manages to find the sunshine in every day

We adopted Sally from a rescue charity called Wolfies Legacy.She was originally a street dog in Tunisia where she suffered a gun wound. Both of her front elbows were severely damaged, and as she didn’t have access to a vet, her front legs ended up becoming set in a bent, upright position.

Despite all she’s been through, Sally is the most loving and trusting dog you could ever wish to meet.She's adapted to walking on her elbows, which we pad to protect, and can sit on her hind legs when she’s begging for treats or if she wants to be picked up. She’s incredibly fast when she wants to be and knows how to jump and hop at speed.

She’s a dog that lives for the moment

We run a home-boarding dog business and Sally is our guidance dog for all the new arrivals.She is super friendly and always makes them feel safeand welcome. Some dogs are a little puzzled by her, as they can't quite figure out why she won't run around with them, but we've noticed how easily they learn to play in ways that accommodate her. It’s truly heart-warming to watch how the dogs interact, accept and embrace Sally’s disabilities.

Being unable to walk very far hasn't stopped Sally from loving life and exploring. We take her out in her buggy every day, and she loves nothing more than to watch the world go by. She’s a dog that lives for the momentand enjoys everything life offers her. Having Sally is a constant reminder that life is what you make it.

Life isn’t easy for Otto or owner Sarah, but together they take on the world every single day

We got Otto when I was waiting for an operation on my eye. He gave me a reason to get up every morning. He was 10 weeks old and needed an urgent new home due to flooding and so we went and got him.

He is the best friend I could ask for

He is the best friend I could ask for. He hasn’t had the best start in life – bad breeding meant he was underweight, and we found out a few months ago that he has severe hip dysplasia and needed both his hips replacing. He had his first operation in August at 11 months old and next week will be going for his other hip replacement surgery.

Despite all of that he has been as good as gold and kept me going. I’m at high risk of Covid so have had to stay home since March and again he made it all bearable. He’s just lovely and after saving for his operations I would love to give him a treat.

Madge has become Ruth’s constant companion as she travels all over the UK for her photography project

Madge is quite simply my heart and soul. We understand each other on a level that cannot be described, and she is my constant shadow and best friend.

I have a photography project where I travel around the UK photographing the UK’s rare breeds of ponies. Madge accompanied me on a major expedition to the Outer Hebrides and the Highlands of Scotland. It was just us, meeting wonderful people along the way, and she was that piece of home when it started to feel lonely.

We understand each other on a level that cannot be described

We even went to Snowdonia in Wales on our own, when I wanted to get away from the world and just be with her surrounded by the hills and wildlife.

We also love visiting the sea, where we are starting to paddle board. The first day, when I put the board in the water and went to get on (having never been on before), Madge was at my side with her paw on the board ready to join me. She soon jumped on when I set off and we learned to balance together – she pays close attention to my movements so she knows which way we are going.

Madge loves to be with her family. She always greets me with an excited wag and wants to be cuddled immediately. She loves to do tricks, especially if there is a play or treat involved after. She always knows when I need her to be with me, and she is able to help me relax and de-stress. She is simply perfect and what she means to me cannot be summarised in a paragraph.

Susanne adores Playa for many reasons, but particularly for the way she looks out for Peanut the kitten

Playa was found with her siblings at the side of the road when she was just a few days old. The litter was fostered, and Playa was adopted but sadly returned after a while. I happened to meet her her at an adoption drive in a pet shop a few months later. I had only gone in to buy cat milk for our newly adopted kitten, Peanut, but I just knew as soon as I saw her that Playa was meant to be ours.

The two of them are inseparable

She immediately fit right into our busy household, along with our new kitten, Peanut, and two other cats. She loved Peanut from the moment she laid eyes on her, and to this day the two of them are inseparable and even sleep in the same bed. Peanut sees Playa as a toy and chase and bite her tail, but Playa just licks her back.

Playa loves everyone and everything. Our friend has a son who has autism, and he can be intimidated by dogs because of their unpredictable fast movements. But he has no fear of Playa, and loves sitting on the sofa and cuddling with her. Playa shows tremendous patience with all children and young dogs, and is always so gentle and calm around them.

Patsy is a girl who knows what she wants, and Rose wouldn’t have it any other way!

Patsy was two when we adopted her from Bath Cats and Dogs Home. She had just had a litter of pups and was handed in. She was tiny, seemed so scared and frail, and we were nervous taking her home. We were so wrong! She walked in, took the bone out of our other dog Eddie’s mouth, pushed him out of his bed and made herself at home. She treated Eddie like her puppy and still does.

Over the months it was clear that Patsy hadn't had the best start. House training was a nightmare, she couldn't walk far as she had little muscle and very cracked pads, she was also scared of walking sticks, but loved people. Six years on and she is so different. She’s much more confident and a local favourite! Patsy loves people and loves a cuddle, and everyone is willing to oblige.

She is our family and we love her

She loves Eddie and still cleans his face every day – even though we don’t think he actually likes it he still lets her do it. Some days she won’t walk, some days it’s like walking a bag of potatoes, but as soon as she’s in the woods, she comes alive! Exploring, chasing squirrels and having fun. And, although she’s not built for swimming (her body to leg ratio is not great) she loves the water and will always paddle in streams and loves a beach trip.

She is getting old, has terrible wind, snores like a steam train and is stubborn like I’ve never known before, but she is our family and we love her. She’s great for a cuddle on the sofa and the comedy value is priceless.

After a tough diagnosis, Jonesy has amazed Deborah with his strength, resilience and vitality

Almost 12 months ago, Jonesy was diagnosed with a type of cancer called hemangiosarcoma, and we were told that he probably wouldn’t make it very long.

However, he's still with us and he’s still enjoying life to the full – walking, swimming, chasing balls and catching bubbles (his favourite game).

His unfailing enthusiasm and energy in everything we ask of him is a delight

He still competes in scent work trials (which he's very good at) and the masses of rosettes he's won is astonishing.

Of course, he doesn't know he has a terminal illness, nor does he know he's on borrowed time, but his unfailing enthusiasm and energy in everything we ask of him is a delight, proving that ignorance really is bliss.

We do the worrying for him and have redoubled our efforts to work through his doggy 'bucket list'.