Sophie helps her owner Anna to stay positive and appreciate the small joys in life

My dog Sophie is always happy and endlessly excited by the simple things. She reminds me how important it is to find the good in each and every day.

All my life, I’ve suffered from panic attacks, and my beautiful dog Sophie has helped me to deal with these enormously. I’m also an insomniac, and when I’m struggling to sleep, I really appreciate the comfort of her warm, fluffy body curled up by my side.

We love to walk together, which helps to keep me fit, and we often meet with friends and fellow dog lovers which can be really uplifting. Poor Sophie has an autoimmune problem, so her medication has meant she’s become a little stocky with age. But this doesn’t stop here from bounding around, attempting ridiculous jumps and just generally enjoying the great outdoors.

The joy she brings me every day

Sophie is very funny and has many little quirks, and she loves to pinch socks and clothes. On one occasion, she actually ran into my neighbour’s open patio door and came out with a pair of his underpants hanging from her mouth! She looked terribly pleased with herself, though I didn’t share that sentiment. Fortunately, the neighbour was also a dog person and found it funny too.

My beloved mother recently passed away, and having Sophie by my side gave me the courage I needed to care for her and the strength to keep going. Like many others, I’ve found that having a furry friend through lockdown has been immensely helpful. I thank Sophie for the joy she brings me every day, and hope that in return, I can give her a very happy and fulfilling life.

Chester started life as a lockdown puppy and ended up in a rescue centre at a very young age, but now he’s getting the lifetime of love he deserves thanks to Ezza

I was looking online to find volunteering vacancies in local animal shelters when I saw Chester’s photo on the Irlam rescue centre website. I was surprised to see such a young dog in a shelter already.

It turns out that he was lockdown dog – someone bought him, played with him as a puppy during lockdown and then dropped him off to the shelter when he became an inconvenience. His behavioural and health problems indicated physical abuse too. I couldn’t help it, I had to adopt him, even though I wasn’t really looking to get a dog in the first place.

I couldn’t help it, I had to adopt him

From the minute he got home, he did everything he could to fit in and thank me. He would come and lick my hand after every meal, he would jump around happily every time I said ‘walkies’, and he’d give me little kisses when he was happy. He also learnt to be quiet when I worked from home. Now he will just chill until 5pm without disturbing me, and appear when I finish work to remind me he’s ready for fun.

A couple of weeks after I got him, his harness broke when we were on a walk and he started running towards the street off the leash. I thought ‘that’s it, he’s gone’, as that was a very busy street and I couldn’t chase after him because I had injured my knee recently.

I stood there not knowing what to do as we had only known each other for a few weeks back then. But then something magic happened – he turned around and came back to me. He sat down, looked at me and stayed there still until I got him back on the leash. I knew then that it was meant to be.

Despite her difficult start in life, Minnie has continued to thrive ever since Debby rescued her from Romania

My little dog is such a brave star and quite deservedly has a big fan club of schoolchildren. They can't wait to gather round and fuss her when I go to our village school to collect my five-year-old grandson.

She sits like a little angel and patiently enjoys all the stroking and oohs and aahs from the boys and girls. One mum was thrilled when her little girl stroked Minnie as she usually has a terrible fear of dogs, so well done to Minnie for being so lovely!

Minnie learned to be brave as a tiny puppy as she was born at the side of a motorway and one of her siblings was actually killed by the traffic. Fortunately, Minnie and her mum were saved and taken to a rescue shelter in Romania, which was safe but rather bleak and cold.

She was born at the side of a motorway

I had been considering a rescue dog for a while and I just knew this little pup was the one for me. Once again, Minnie had to be brave as she spent three days travelling in a small crate from Romania to the UK in January. It must have been gruelling despite the love and care from the marvellous volunteers at the charity.

Since her ordeal, Minnie has blossomed into the sweet, cuddly, gentle, funny and friendly little darling that she is now. She is so funny when she is on her sock-stealing missions. She thinks she’s so clever but she just looks hilarious as she dashes away on her tiny little Queen Anne legs with a pair of socks flapping in her mouth!

She has also started spinning round and round at 100 miles an hour, trying to catch her bushy squirrel tail! And yes, she is a funny shape – a bit of a hairy sausage with stumpy legs and the fluffiest curly tail. But she is a bundle of love and the best little friend anyone could ever want.

Alfred is an empathetic dog and a loyal companion, especially to Julia’s daughter – and his quirks just make him all the more loveable!

Alfred is a Weimararner. He gets really anxious if he is left alone and is a very much-loved part of our family. We have a daughter with autism and Alf is her companion and helper, who always seems to sense and know when he needs to be with her and when she needs him. He is also my husband’s personal trainer, getting him outdoors and exercising.

Alf has some strange habits

Alf has some strange habits – he likes to sleep across the arms of two sofas, or if he’s on the sofa then he sleeps with all four legs in the air! He loves the freedom to run around the Dorset meadows at the end of the lane that we live on and is a happy chap with our two cats and always greets them by licking them.

He is such a handsome boy that people always comment on him when he is out and about. He is playful and has a box of toys, his favourite being Gilbert the sloth! He has a favourite kennel, which is in Turnpike in Motcombe Dorset and all the kennel workers love him! He like to ride in my car in the front seat, especially in the Summer with the top down and the wind blowing in his ears!

For owner Joanne and family, the addition of Dotty to their lives has been just what they needed

We got Dotty back in January as a rescue dog. Little did we know what an important little dog she would be.

In the morning you wake up to Dotty on your head!

I started to suffer from anxiety and was signed off work for four weeks and Dotty gave me the strength to go out and walk her. Then during lockdown she has been our rock. Our son is autistic and she helps him a lot.

Dotty is a sausage dog crossed with a Jack Russell so is full of energy, jumps runs and keeps us on our feet. Dotty does not like to sleep on her own so spends the night at the bottom of our bed but in the morning you wake up to Dotty on your head! Her favourite things to do are play with her toys and snuggle up to you.

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.