Abby started out as a sick stray puppy who feared almost everything, but Jane has fought to help her bounce back

Abby is a rescue dog from Spain who was very thin, had a digestive problem and didn’t know how to play with a ball. She was also terrified of most things, including umbrellas, lunchboxes and motorbikes.

A year on, we’ve not only got her health under control with a special diet, but she’s confident, happy and makes us laugh (when she’s not chewing my swimming costume).

She’s a wonderful addition to our life

Abby is very sociable and loves to play in the park, although she doesn’t always bring the ball back to us! The customers in our shop adore her, too, and she really cheered us up after the death of our previous dog. She has such a lovely nature and is a wonderful addition to our life.

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

Katie knows how special her dog Koko is, and everyone that meets her can’t help but agree

I got my dog Koko when she was just six months old. She settled in straight away, and even though she had never been around children, she was absolutely amazing with my three right from the start.

Koko has a lovely temperament, she’s so calm and chilled that I really feel as though I have the perfect dog. When I first got her, I was able to spend pretty much all day keeping her company, since we were in lockdown at the time. After I went back to work, I was worried she wouldn’t adjust, but she took it all in her stride.

She behaves just like a cat

One of the funniest things about Koko is that she behaves just like a cat. She sleeps a lot and loves lazing around, so she’ll only go on a walk if you make her. I think she’d rather stay curled up on the comfy sofa all day long. When we do get out of the house, people always make a fuss of her because she’s so striking – you don’t see many Japanese Shiba Inus around here.

Koko also has a penchant for toffee popcorn, which is rather unusual for a dog. Her previous owners told us this and we were sceptical, but if you open a bag in another room she always comes running straight in!

Brave, loyal and the best teammate, Leri gives Katy a lot to be proud of

Lerihas recently retired from his role as a Protection Dog for the British Army. I first met him when he was two years old, after he had been postedto my unit fresh out of training. He was my first Military Working Dog and together, we guided each other through.

We guided each other through

We absolutely smashed our last licensing, and were awarded an advancedpass, something that has not been achieved in more than ten years at my unit. I have learnt so much from Leri and I’m honoured to have been able to take him home at the end of his service. I owe him all that life can give and I love him so much.He’s my big, slobbery, brave boy!

Laurie’s dog Angus may be hard of hearing, but doesn’t stop him from living a happy life

Angus is our partially deaf Border Collie. We collected him when he was just eight weeks old, and now we couldn’t imagine our lives without him.

He does hear loud noises, which can sometimes startle him, and he responds to his name if you say it clearly enough. Mostly, he follows signs, even though we make a large amount of them up! It’s like we’ve developed our own language for him.

Without her, my life would be very bleak

Angus is a very clever dog, so he’ll always let us know when he wants something. I think we would all have struggled without him in the last year. He loves long walks in the countryside, which has been great for me. My dog is like my little shadow, and a treasured member of our family.

Mary’s loveable dogs, Pippy and Mollie, have helped her to get through lockdown

I had to shield during lockdown, and I found it really hard. Without the love and care l got from Pippy, l don't think l would have made it through.She made me laugh with her funny antics, cuddled me all night and checked up on me during the day.

Basically a real-life Scooby Doo

Pippy is hilarious and obsessed with food. Not a day goes by when she doesn’t steal a spoonful of my porridge in the morning! She also loves playing with her ball and is basically a real-life Scooby Doo. If my other dog Mollie loses her ball, Pippy usually finds it and points to it with her nose so Mollie knows where it is, but sometimes, Pippy will just steal it andrun away.

The past twelve months have been so tough, but with my dogs by my side, I’ve got through it all.