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.

Katie and her family were struggling with Freddy’s behavioural issues until Frank the pug came into their lives

Six months ago, we rehomed Freddy, a five-month-old Husky cross. He was a kind, funny bundle of energy. A month or so after his arrival, we started to notice some strange behaviours. And, after months of back and forth with vets and behaviourists, it was established that Fred suffered from a stress disorder, verging on PTSD.

With lots of work, Fred has been improving day by day, but the one thing that didn’t change was his distress when other dogs walked away from him or didn’t interact.

I work closely with a rescue centre in my job. They asked if we’d try fostering as it would help us with Fred, while also helping an unwell pug who wasn’t happy in rescue. We went over with Fred and took them both for a walk in the forest. Frank, the pug, was pretty tolerant of Fred’s manic leaping and pawing – he just waggled his little bottom and carried on.

Instantly it was like they understood one another

Frank moved in and instantly it was like they understood one another. Frank was due to have BOAS surgery so his breathing was awful, and quite hard to listen to. Fred’s yelping in the car ended almost instantly and instead he would lean against the wall of Frank’s crate, and Frank would lean back onto him.

Fred is still erratic at times, but Frank has totally changed him and our famiy life. He’s 10 days post BOAS surgery now and is the happiest, most loving boy. As both are rescues, we cannot ever imagine how someone chose to abandon either of them.

I think it’s important for people to see that dogs which require more work are also more rewarding. Everything we achieve with Fred or Frank leaves us full of pride. The boys are the very best of friends and we’re so glad we took the leap into changing Frank from our foster dog to Fred’s big (or little) brother.

The two happiest, kindest, oddest pair of dogs in the world, but the best match!

She may be tiny, but Poppet has made a huge difference in Sasha’s life, from making her laugh to helping with her mental health struggles

Poppet is a tiny Chihuahua but has the biggest heart and the craziest, most infectious personality.

She never fails to make me laugh, whether she’s zooming across the landing to air dry herself after the bath, leapfrogging over people in the park who then unexpectedly find a Chihuahua in their lap, or falling in love with the new neighbours!

I find nothing more fulfilling than sharing my life with her

Poppet makes everyone smile. I have been in a very dark place with my mental health and sometimes it’s a struggle to get out of bed, but Poppet always makes my day worthwhile.

I honestly find nothing more fulfilling than sharing my life with her. It gives me a purpose. She’s not just my dog, she’s my best friend and I don’t do anything without her!

Whether she’s stealing tea towels or picking up things they drop, Zayat is always making Mandy and her family laugh with her cheeky antics

Zayat is such a character. She does so many funny things, and always makes us laugh. She’s also very clever, so if we drop anything, even if it’s tiny, she’ll find it, put it between her lips and look at us. Then we’ll ask her ‘what’ve you got?’, and she finally spits it out so we can see what it is.

We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher

We can hide anything, say ‘go find it’ and she would sniff it out. She often understands what we’re saying, so she knows people by name, and can read our body language. If we need cheering up, Zayat will always make us feel better.

She loves to take our socks off and our hats. We call her the phantom tea towel snatcher as she will steal the tea towel at any opportunity. We don't even realise she’s taken it as she does it so craftily, then she runs off with it so proudly. Life would be very dull without Zayat – she’s a one off!

Cute, snuggly and quirky, Pippi never fails to make her owner Jessica laugh

Pippi is a sweetheart. She adores people and wants to be best friends with everyone she meets. She loves to beg for cucumber slices and then sneak away to eat them in secret!

Due to an infection, Pippi has no teeth. So, when she falls asleep, her little tongue sticks out of her mouth. She looks so funny!

I’m a very proud pup mum!

I’m disabled and she loves to just sit and cuddle me. She always makes me feel better.

Pippi has just had knee surgery, so she’s been stuck inside to recover but she’s been so good. I’m a very proud pup mum!

Joanna’s dog Oscar (pictured) has been the perfect role model for her younger Cockapoo, Albie

I’m very lucky to have two wonderful, funny and cuddly Cockapoos called Oscar and Albie, who are my fur babies. My youngest, Albie, is a rescue who was sadly abused as a puppy and pushed from pillar to post with three different owners.

He came to me at only 18 months old, after he was literally hours from being put to sleep by his previous owners, who could no longer handle him. He had a lot of behavioural issues, which has taken a lot of strength and tenacity, but we’ve gradually worked on them together!

They absolutely adore each other

Albie and his best friend Oscar, who’s eight, absolutely adore each other. Oscar has been Albie’s role model and inspiration to learn to be a good doggy, which I am so grateful for. They give me so much joy, from cuddles in bed to days on the beach, swimming in the sea with them.

They are always there for me no matter what I’m going through. They always put a smile on my face, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them.