Louise’s dog Sherman may be a giant, but his gentle nature means he’s adored by everyone in the community

We’ve had Sherman since he was a puppy, though back then I didn’t realise quite how big he would grow, both in size and personality. Sherman is an amazing dog, not only to us at home but also within our local community.

Sherman loves nothing more than attending school drop off and pick up, and if he doesn’t come, the children all ask for him. He is adored by all and constantly showered with cards, presents and more importantly, cuddles. There have been many occasions when parents have struggled to get their children to go school, but Sherman is happy to walk beside them, and that seems to be all the encouragement they need.

He is adored by all

Often, Sherman doesn’t want to leave the children, which can be quite embarrassing for me – it’s very tricky moving 12 stones of fluff! There are not enough words to describe the positive influence Sherman has had on us all. As well as looking after children, he also helps all the new puppies to become a part of our community by volunteering as a support dog, and even helps dogs who have been rescued and need socialising.

Zoe’s dog Kes makes the world a happier place with his assistance skills and infectious happiness

Kes is my little hearing dog-in-training. I got him just eight days after I sent off my last trainee as a fully qualified assistance dog, and boy did he arrive with a bang! He’s a gorgeous chocolate Cocker with big, innocent eyes, but don’t let that fool you – really, he’s a crazy bundle of energy who keeps me on my toes every day.

He’s also a notorious sock thief

From the minute he wakes me up to the moment he goes to bed he’s causing mischief. He’s also a notorious sock thief. Kes will take them off the airer, radiator or even out of the washing machine as I unload it! He also adores being in the water, whether that means swimming, river splashing, jumping in muddy puddles or even just dipping his nose in his water bowl.

Kes is the friendliest dog alive. When you come downstairs or through the front door, he greets you like you’ve been gone forever. It’s adorable, the way he starts wiggling and wagging his tail with excitement. His love for life is contagious. I’ve never met a happier, crazier dog and I think the world of him. I just wish I could bottle up his energy and drink some!

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.

Teddy is constantly making his owner Callum laugh with his hilarious antics

Teddy is a real character. I’m sure he thinks he’s a cat, as I’ll often find him attempting to climb the cat tree, which never ends well for him! He sure knows how to have fun – one minute he’ll be playing with his toys and the next he’s doing his famous Greyhound impression. He can also bea little terror, but no matter what he’s doing, he’ll always put a smile on your face.

He sure knows how to have fun

After being told that Lola would be too difficult to train, Alannah proved everyone wrong by transforming her into a fully qualified performer

I adopted Lola nine years ago. She was rescued from an Irish puppy farm. Now, she is 11/12 and I adore her.

When I was meeting with the adoption charity, they said I wouldn’t be able to do much with her as she was a beagle. But Lola is now more qualified than I am. She competed at flyball and currently holds the most points for a beagle in the UK. She has completed her Gold Kennel Club. She has certificates for scent detection, tracking and man trailing, but her best skills are tricks. She loves to perform!

She’s more qualified than I am

Lola is totally motivated by food. She will often tell me when she deserves a treat when we are out. She also loves to wrap up under the duvet and at least two blankets. She adores people, especially my dad. This can be embarrassing due to the noise she makes when she sees him, and afterwards she’ll wee with excitement.

Lola is awesome. She has supported me through so much and knows many of my secrets. My relationship broke down just before the pandemic and having Lola made things better.

With Bandit around, there’s never a dull day for Karla and her family

We'd been looking for a rescue dog for a while, but were having no luck. We eventually found Bandit through a site linked with dogs in Romania and Serbia.

Bandit was due to come to us at the end of the month. We hadn’t told our children yet, so it would be a surprise for them – though our youngest son was still afraid of cats at this point, so we were a little apprehensive at how it would all work out!

Bandit has really helped him to come out of his shell

Fast forward to a few months later, and they are the best of friends. They spend lots of time together, snuggling and playing. Bandit has really helped my son to come out of his shell.

Bandit is a great asset to our family in more ways than one and has definitely brought us closer together with all the walks we now take, though it would be nice if he stopped chewing threw his leads – I think we’re onto number 16 now!

He loves everyone and everything and is so happy to play with the other dogs in the park. He even adores our cat, but the feeling isn't mutual!