From her clumsy nature to her friendship with the family kitten, Wulfwynn has brought endless joy, love and laughter to Em’s life

Wulfwynn enhances the lives of myself, my husband and our young son with her affection and antics. As an Irish Wolfhound, she is completely unaware of her size, and clumsiness is definitely the order of the day. She trips over her own legs, bumps into things, and insists on trying to sit on our laps, despite being far taller than I am on her hind legs, let alone our son!

She can be a bit of a mess too, always emerging from the woods covered in leaves and twigs! However, all this awkwardness disappears when she reaches the ferns on the edge of the woods during our daily walks. Then, she flies like a bird, leaping and bounding through the undergrowth – a thing of beauty and elegance.

She insists on trying to sit on our laps, despite being far taller than I am on her hind legs

She is particularly funny with our Bengal kitten. They are definitely partners in crime. Montmorency the kitten knocks things off the piano so that Wulfwynn can chew them! They chase each other round the garden, play-fight (Montmorency giving as good as he gets), and then curl up together.

One morning, when Montmorency was still a tiny kitten, and Wulfwynn was already coming into her full size, we came down to find that we had accidentally shut both animals in the kitchen together overnight. Wulfwynn was lying on the hard floor, looking aggrieved, while the kitten was sprawled luxuriously on the huge dog bed, looking smug with satisfaction! Such joy, such love, and so many laughs!

After Bella was diagnosed with heart failure last year, Kelly has been treasuring every moment she spends with her

Bella, my dachshund, has brought immeasurable joy and positivity to my life through her quirky behaviours, love and companionship. She has a few endearing quirks, such as barking for food and nudging her bowl for water, which add structure to my day and strengthen our bond. Bella also enjoys sitting at the window and watching the world go by, which is calming and relaxing for both of us.

Despite Bella's positive impact on my life, we received the devastating news on Boxing Day that she had heart failure. It was heart-breaking to hear, especially after she had already undergone spinal surgery to treat intervertebral disc disease. However, we are doing everything possible to ensure Bella is comfortable and receiving the best care possible. Though it is a challenging time for our family, Bella's resilience and determination continue to inspire us.

Bella's positive impact on my life is immeasurable

Bella's spinal surgery and recovery was a long process that required patience and care, but the experience brought us closer together. Her resilience in the face of adversity was nothing short of remarkable, and her recovery has been a testament to the enduring bond between pets and their owners. Today, Bella is back to her playful and energetic self, and we are grateful for the veterinary care and support that helped her heal.

Bella's constant companionship, love and affection have provided me with a sense of purpose and responsibility. Her presence has also increased my physical activity and appreciation for nature. She inspires me to spend more time outside and to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

Despite the challenges we face with Bella's heart failure, we are cherishing the time we have left with her. She continues to provide us with love and companionship, and we are thankful for every moment we have together. Bella's positive impact on my life is immeasurable, and I feel incredibly lucky to have her as a companion and pet.

Ellie completes Margaret’s family, and she is always there for them like they are for her.

Ellie has been with us since she was nine weeks old. She was an RSPCA rescue dog. She is a Staffie Cross, the smallest of five puppies who we fell in love with on first seeing. She isn’t a pet to us, she is our family member.

She is our family member

She has helped me personally through many difficult times — on bad days after losing my precious dad, and when I was diagnosed with breast cancer she never left my side from start to finish of my treatment. She understands our every thought and makes us laugh every day. We always say that she doesn’t think she is a dog!

She has many medical problems herself to overcome but we have always been there for her, like she has us. Life would just not be the same without her.

Chester has helped Sarah-Louise and her husband to stay positive in challenging times

Chester is a two-year-old Pomsky. My husband is a doctor and I’m a nurse,and we decided to get Chester when I was having a particularly hard time at work.We had recently moved to Wales and taking Chester out for walks encouraged me to make new friends with other dog owners.

He melts our stress away

I really believe Chester’s constant happiness and endless love saved me from a dark place. After a long day at work, he’ll always greet us with so much excitement. Both my husband and I feel as though he melts our stress away. Our mental wellbeing has improved greatly since having Chester, and so has our fitness, as he loves to be outside and run around.

One of Chester’s favourite hobbies is helping out in the garden. I’ve started creating new boarders and as soon as I get my spade out, he gets his paws ready and digs wherever you’re digging. He’s truly wonderful.

With Bandit around, there’s never a dull day for Karla and her family

We'd been looking for a rescue dog for a while, but were having no luck. We eventually found Bandit through a site linked with dogs in Romania and Serbia.

Bandit was due to come to us at the end of the month. We hadn’t told our children yet, so it would be a surprise for them – though our youngest son was still afraid of cats at this point, so we were a little apprehensive at how it would all work out!

Bandit has really helped him to come out of his shell

Fast forward to a few months later, and they are the best of friends. They spend lots of time together, snuggling and playing. Bandit has really helped my son to come out of his shell.

Bandit is a great asset to our family in more ways than one and has definitely brought us closer together with all the walks we now take, though it would be nice if he stopped chewing threw his leads – I think we’re onto number 16 now!

He loves everyone and everything and is so happy to play with the other dogs in the park. He even adores our cat, but the feeling isn't mutual!

Samantha knew that Winnie the rescue dog would be a perfect addition to her family

We got Winnie as a companion for our autistic son. She was due to come home to us the week of the first lock down, and sadly the process ended up being delayed. We felt so sorry for her as it meant had to stay at the shelter for a little while longer. But, we kept our hopes up and as soon as the restrictions eased, we were told we could come and collect her.

We’re always here to protect her

At first, she was extremely shy and wouldn’t come near us, but we gave her space and over time she stared to realise just how much we love her. We’ve had to build up her confidence bit by bit and show her the joys of the big wide world – but also reassure her that we’re always here to protect her.

Winnie is now a loved member of our family, and is not only a true friend to our son Jake, but also a pal to our other pets. Jake loves her so much, and she’s been a huge help to him throughout these uncertain times.