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.

Whether they’re out for walks or snuggling up at home, Sam’s puppy Lilly has been the light of her life for the past year

Ever since I got Lilly, my Spanish Water Dog puppy, she’s brought me lots of love, happiness and fun. In January this year, my beloved dog Zuky crossed the rainbow bridge at the old age of 15, but Lilly has been a wonderful companion. She checks up on me to make sure I’m OK, and she’s helping me cope with the huge loss in my heart.

When I went to see Lilly as a puppy, I entered the room and she came over, licked my face and snuggled up. They do say a puppy chooses their owner! Before I got her, my health was declining rapidly. Now I feel like a different person. Not only has she been excellent for my physical health, but she’s helped my confidence with meeting people – something I find difficult due to a neurological condition I have.

Lilly’s more than just a dog

Every day we go for a walk, come rain or shine. We have lots of fun walking in the countryside, and then in the evening, we relax watching our favourite nature documentaries with David Attenborough. She gets the zoomies every evening. And she has loads of different toys, but her favourite is my outdoor Crocs!

Lilly’s more than just a dog, she’s my world. She loves her life and has everything a young dog needs to remain happy and healthy. I couldn’t imagine life without her. She’s also doing really well with her training as I have lots of dog knowledge, so she’s a very good puppy. She’ll soon be at her teenage stage, which could be a challenge, but I’m ready for whatever comes our way.

When Karen first got Mia, she had to keep her a secret – but Mia quickly became an important and prominent member of the family.

Mia is a black Staffordshire Bull Terrier. She has short legs and a little white patch on her chest. I first brought her home on a cold night about five years ago, when she was just seven weeks old.

Initially, I had to hide her because my husband was against getting another dog after losing our Yorkshire Terrier. For four days she lived in my daughter’s bedroom, sneaking out for cuddles when my husband was out. If he heard her make any noises during the night, we’d have to tell him he was just dreaming!

She has helped me to cope

One day, I went to get her to take her to the vets for her booster jab. She shot out of the door, down the stairs and bounced straight onto the sofa and sat down next to my husband! I was busted, but Mia quickly won his heart and became a member of the household.

Mia has such a great personality. Some of her favourite hobbies include stealing Brussels Sprouts from the veg rack, chasing birds and enjoying treats. She sleeps beside us every night in her basket, and every year we celebrate her birthday with a doggy cake and her friends.

She’s such an important dog to me because she helped me to cope after lost my brother. She knows when I’m sad and will give me lots of cuddles and kisses. I truly believe Mia was sent to me for a reason.

Caroline couldn’t have asked for a kinder, more loving furry friend than her dog Gin

We got Gin during lockdown, and she injected some colour into my very grey life. She is so fun, sweet and kind, and truly doesn’t have a bad bone in her body

She injected some colour into my very grey life

When she was just 14 weeks old, I suffered from a broken knee which meant I had to spend a lot of time resting at home. Gin stayed so patiently by my side the whole time. We expected her to get bored and maybe even a bit naughty with all her unspent energy, but she was an absolute dream.

Now, Gin is seven months old and I’m fully mobile again, so we’re looking forward to lots of long, relaxing walks together.

Life hasn’t always been kind to Natasha, but Bruiser’s always there to comfort her when she’s having a hard time

We got Bruiser from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in Windsor when he was just 13 weeks old. No one was quite sure what this little puppy had been through, but it must have been traumatic, as he was very timid. We knew as soon as we met him that he’d be coming home with us.

Bruiser is a very quirky dog as we don’t actually know what his breed is. We believe he’s a Lurcher cross, but we’re not sure what he’s crossed with! He has the long legs of a Lurcher, the ears of a Deerhound, the markings and colourings of a Jack Russell, and the stocky build of maybe a Staffy. He also runs as fast as a Whippet and has the temperament of a Labrador or Retriever.

He’s an oddball, just like our family!

He's definitely very unique, which we find quite amusing to be honest. He’s an oddball, just like our family! Bruiser has such a huge positive impact on all of us – he makes us laugh, gets us out for walks in the fresh air and takes us on adventures in new places.

Bruiser has also had a really positive impact on me, personally. I’ve always struggled with my mental health, throughout childhood and into adulthood. Bruiser has helped to calm me down when I am upset or stressed, and he always gives me something to live for and look forward to. There’s nothing better than his cuddles and his love.

Six years ago, I was diagnosed with a very rare illness and, although some people don’t believe it, I really feel that Bruiser can sense when I’m going to be unwell. He becomes very protective over the house and doesn’t leave my side until I feel better. He’s not a service dog so he can’t fetch medicines, but just having him with me makes me feel so much better.

Patrizia and her sister may not know Bonnie’s history, but one thingthey are sure of is her wonderful personality

My twin sister and I already had two dogs in our family when we recently decided to foster another. She’s called Bonnie and she’s just seven months old. We got her from a charity called Underdog, who rescued her from Romania.

Loves making new friends

We don’t know her breed but whenever we go out people love to guess. Most seem to think she’s some sort of Husky, Lurcher and Terrier mix, but the jury’s still out on that one!

Bonnie has something of a sheepdog mentality, and always tries to herd other dogs together. She’s so sociable and loves making new friends. During the day she’s crazy and energetic, but as soon as it gets dark, she loves nothing more than crashing out and curling up on our laps.