Even though she hasn’t been part of Maya’s family for long, Sunny has made every day brighter since her arrival

When Sunny was born, she was the only survivor of her litter, so she’s been both a blessing and a miracle to our family.

She’s a confident ball of energy who enjoys nothing more than digging, jumping over anything in sight and climbing trees (yes, she climbs trees). When she isn’t doing that, she’s exploring new sights and smells.

Sunny had her first experience on a beach in Whitby recently. Then a week later, it was her first time in knee-deep snow. She loves a visit to a café for a doggy ice cream or two, while she curiously watches her fellow dog pals.

Sunny has brought so much joy to our lives, and she gives us a reason to carry on when times get tough. We have big plans for our girl to live out a full life with us, and we’ll never stop adventuring.

She gives us a reason to carry on when times get tough

Herbie brings endless love and laughter into Emily’s life

Herbie is a rescue from Beagle Welfare. We adopted him in June 2019 to keep our bereaved dog company. He immediately settled in, though I think he was a bit surprised at how long our walks usually last!

He seems glad to be a part of our household, and we’re so happy to have him. Herbie is adorable and loves everything and everyone. He enjoys stealing dropped items from the floor and will do anything for food. We started dog training classes with him last year, but we had to begin at puppy level. We haven’t made much progress – he’s so cheeky and makes such a spectacle of himself every time, but I think he just loves to be the class clown.

I think he just loves to be the class clown

When he sees other dogs, he likes to play hide and seek, except he doesn’t hide, he just lies down until they come up to him. He won’t move until they do, and we’ve had so many awkward encounters where we’ve had to explain to strangers that Herbie’s waiting for their dog to say hello.

Herbie deserved to be part of a family, and now he is living his best life. We are so grateful for him and the way he’s brightened our world.

Tracy’s adorable dog Monty might have a bit of attitude, but that doesn’t stop him from being gentle and caring, winning over everyone’s heart.

We got Monty just before lockdown this year, after years of talking about having a dog. He was seven months old and a bit of a teenager, but he has changed and enhanced our lives for the better.

He is the sweetest, gentlest dog who has what I firmly believe is a genuine sense of humour. He can tell when I am getting stressed while working from home and will hide his toys under a table or chair and invite me down onto the floor to retrieve them for him. Once I’m there, he’ll happily chew my hair and lick my ears and squirm around to show how pleased he is. I give him back his toy, with a big cuddle and go back to work. Five minutes later the toy is miraculously back in an inaccessible place.

He has even won over our two cats

He has the biggest, best doggy smile (like most Golden Retrievers) and his general exuberance and love for life is infectious. He has even won over our two cats – who were less than impressed that I had brought a big, hairy stranger into their lives!

We recently had a garden redo and the builder made it clear he didn’t like dogs, so we cordoned off the bit of the garden that he was working in. Monty sat politely in a garden chair watching everything and accepting an occasional pat. By the end of the three weeks, the builder was greeting him enthusiastically and stopping by for a proper pet. They are now firm friends – even when Monty was accidentally let into the wrong part of the garden and ended up belly-deep in the freshly poured concrete footings for the wall!

Monty is the heart and soul of my life.

Since joining the family in 2021, Waffle has kept Julie and her husband busy with her escape acts

Waffle unexpectedly bounded into our lives after meeting her with Foxhound Welfare UK at Dogs Unleashed last September 2021. She has boundless energy and loves taking part in Canicross runs and hikes. She loves to sing in the evening and always likes a snuggle.

She keeps us on our toes all the time

She is an escape artist so keeps us on our toes all the time. She even took herself for an unscheduled run on Christmas morning, followed by my husband wearing his slippers. She's certainly made herself feel at home and we couldn't imagine life without her now (even when she does empty the kitchen bins).

With Heather’s help, Benji has transformed from a poorly, neglected pup into a loving, healthy pooch

Benji is a Fox Red Labrador, who arrived with us in lockdown 2020. He was only 10 months old, and he’d spent a lot of that time locked up in a puppy crate with owners who didn’t have a garden or any time for him. He was an impulse buy they regretted, and they didn’t know how to look after him.

As a result, he chewed everything he could to relieve the boredom and anxiety. He suffered from gut problems and conjunctivitis, and he was generally an unhappy boy. After a bit of settling in and some training, he’s now nearly four years old and he’s a wonderful, happy, inquisitive, loving dog.

He keeps me company when I’m working and lets me know when I’ve been sitting too long and it’s time for a walk. He's also trained me to fetch his ball when he chucks it from the top of the stairs so I can throw it back. Unfortunately, he thinks other items can also be chucked, such as the odd bone, which has a harder landing on the tiled floor!

He adores swimming and has been known to become immovable and scream loudly in a tantrum when asked to leave a lovely beach. If you ask him what good boys do, he’ll immediately sit down on the floor, waiting for a tasty reward.

He’s a wonderful, happy, inquisitive, loving boy

He gives me dog kisses (with no licking) to show he’s my buddy, and belly rubs are obligatory before breakfast. He’s got me walking, enjoying the outdoors, making new dog owner friends, and generally loving my life more because he’s in it.

After rescuing Lola, Lisa loves her life with her gentle giant

Lola is a rescue dog who has been with us a little over a year ago. She came to us this fully grown dog who still had many many puppy tendencies. We rescued her just before she got to the rehoming centre.

She is this large oaf who doesn’t realise her size, thinking she’s a lap dog. Lola loves a cosy blanket, hates being cold, wet and hates when the wind blows her ears.

Life during lockdown would have been impossible without his companionship

We still have a long way to go with training but she has changed our lives so much. She’s like a wee companion for myself and we’re either playing in the garden together, going for fun walks or cosying in bed watching a movie together. Lola loves her comforts and believe it or not, she loves the vets.

When she jumps up her paws go on your shoulders and she gives you almost a human cuddle.