She may be small, but Sissy has had a huge impact on Jessica and her parents’ lives

Every morning, Sissy wakes me with a bang on the door as she uses all of her tiny strength to batter her way into my bedroom. You would think she loves me, but really she just wants to curl up and sleep for an extra hour after my parents get up. She has a habit of curling up next to me like a freshly baked, fluffy cinnamon swirl – with her signature pink tail.

The best times with Sissy are on our local beach in Conwy. As soon as she gets on the beach (after 200+ sniffs and wees) she fires off like a rocket, running at 100 mph, stopping only to lie on her back and do a wriggly breakdance in the sand.

Sissy is the glue that holds us all together

There are four of us in our family, and Sissy is the glue that holds us all together. My dad works on ships that go all over the world, and his goal is to leave a Sissy hair on every ship in the sea. We go nowhere without her – she has had her picture taken on the beach in Cannes, the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland and next to a Ferrari in Monte Carlo.

The best thing about Sissy is her affectionate nature and her often wonky looks. Having completed my PhD during the lockdowns, she was my loyal companion sitting on my knee with her head on the keyboard. Day after day, she was there to bring smiles to zoom meetings (and often a great excuse to leave them!).

She can go from looking the best in show after a brush, to looking like a drunk Donald Trump after a good windswept breakdance on the beach. The most special thing about having her as a baby sister is waking up with her under my chin, snuggled up warm and peaceful.

She might not technically be a support dog, but Cherry is always by Denise’s’ side making her life a little sweeter.

Cherry has been my shadow, my support and my will to keep going. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May and started chemotherapy in June. Cherry instinctively knew something was not right with me, and that I was not my normal self.

She is always giving me cuddles and kisses

She took it upon herself to always stay by my side, even when I went to bed she would fall asleep resting her head on me as if to watch over me.

Cherry is so loving and she is always giving me cuddles and kisses on my bad days. She won’t even let my other Collie come near me, always pushing him out of the way even though he is 20lbs heavier! She is my emotional support, and without her I don’t know how I would cope with my ongoing treatment.

Carmen has been Wendy’s saviour during lockdown, but she hasn’t got the hang of video calls just yet...

Carmen is my Canine Partner, who’s been with me for just over a year now. She’s a beautiful Golden Retriever with the longest fluffy tail.

My dog helps me with tasks around the house. If I stop breathing at night, she wakes my husband by jumping on the bed, and is even trained to use an emergency phone to call an ambulance.

She is extremely caring but also has a wild side

She is extremely caring but also has a wild side and goes crazy on the beach. I think she’s trying to dig her way to Australia! The way she runs and plays, it’s hard to believe she’s the same calm girl that helps me through every day.

Carmen used to be a school reading dog, which she loved. She always looked as though she understood every word the children were saying. Now the reading classes take place over a video call, and Carmen always tries to get behind my laptop to see if the children are actually there behind the screen.

I don’t know how I’d have coped with lockdown without Carmen by my side. She is my angel and I love her to bits.

Though Schubert can be a bit crazy at times, he always knows when Megan needs him, whether she’s studying for her PhD or helping a stranger in distress

Schubert entered our lives in May 2021. Both of us are currently studying for PhDs and Schubert has been a real lifeline to get us through that. He is clumsy and a hilarious ball of energy, but he also knows when we need calm and he’s sensitive to our needs as well as his own.

He’s sensitive to our needs as well as his own

Just recently, we took Schubert on a walk up the Wrekin in Shropshire and on the way down we encountered a woman who had fallen and broken her ankle. She had three young children with her. Normally Schubert is not brilliant with children, but he could sense how upset they were, and he sat very calmly for nearly two hours, allowing them to hug him, stroke him and just gain comfort from him. Once we were eventually able to continue the walk down the Wrekin, it was completely dark, and Schubert led the way to ensure a safe path for us all. We were very proud of him that day.

Schubert has also suffered a lot with allergies since March this year. He was very subdued for a few months, but we recently added a new puppy, Heidi, to our family. Since then, Schubert has really regained the spring in his step and returned to his playful self. He is still suffering from with his allergies, but we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Petal might be small, and not as young as she used to be, but she’s still making the most out of her life with Emma

Petal is a 17-year-old mini Jack Russell, tiny even by Jack Russell standards. She's so petite that we think there may be some chihuahua in her.

She might be ancient, but she's still got it! Her gait is most accurately described as a sassy strut. She's still in the prime of her life as far as she's concerned. Being old hasn't diminished her joy for chasing squirrels in the park, or even her own tail.

Because she's so small, she has to make a jump over the back doorstep to come in from the garden. She always completes her jump with stylish aplomb, reminiscent of a show jumping horse.

She might be ancient, but she's still got it!

Her seniority has inevitably led to her having a few less teeth compared with when she was a youngster. This means she's particularly fond of her Winalot gravy satchets because she finds the food not only tasty, but also very easy to eat. She gets excited when she sees the sachets appear at dinnertime and, without fail, does her 'hurry up and feed me' bark whilst waiting for her bowl to be filled.

She lives with CC, an 11-year-old chocolate Labrador, and they are the best of friends. She likes snuggling up to CC for naps. But Petal is the boss, and she has no qualms reminding CC of this as and when required.

A few years ago, she was lucky enough to win first place in the Dog with Best Personality category at a local Fun Day Dog Contest. One of her prizes was a tennis ball and thrower but the ball was a bit too big for her. She had no problems passing it on to CC as a consolation prize. But she's far less generous when it comes to her sharing her dinner!

Petal may be small, but she has a huge personality that lights up any room. She is a cute little bundle of fun and love who brings a great deal of joy to all of us that have the good fortune to share our lives with her.

Not only has Alfie been an important part of Emily’s life since she was nine, but he’s also been an ongoing source of support for her grandad

We got Alfie as a rescue puppy when he was eight weeks old and I was nine years old. He has grown up with us through all the big life moments. He is such a caring and insightful little man who is always aware of how everyone is feeling. If someone is sad or unwell, he will sneak over with his waggy tail to be cuddled.

Alfie has had a massive impact on my grandad's quality of life

Most importantly, Alfie has had a massive impact on my grandad's quality of life. Alfie stays with my grandparents for some of the week due to my mum's work schedule. My grandad, who is in his 90s, keeps active by taking Alfie for walks on the days that they’re together.

They have such a lovely bond. My grandad even has a framed photograph of Alfie next to his bed, but none of the rest of the family! When they are together, Alfie follows him around everywhere until my grandad sits in his chair. Then Alfie will snuggle in between him and the arm of the chair and lay his paw on my grandad's knee while they both have a snooze.