Maria’s only had Ashton for a year, but he’s already made her life so much better with his sweet personality

The day I’m writing this is Ashton’s first birthday. Over the last year, he’s brought pure joy into my life. He’s a playful, happy little dog, who simply won’t allow you to be sad around him.

He likes to sit on top of the sofa cushions like a cat and will go anywhere that’s warm. He loves to be snuggled under blankets and will make his own ‘nest’ out of any soft material he can curl up in.

He has a sister, and he always barks at her until she plays with him – but he isn’t too pleased when she barks back! He also gets major ‘FOMO’, so if there’s even a small chance of something exciting happening, he needs to be there – even if you’re just going to make a cup of tea.

Most importantly, he’s helped me stay positive when I’ve struggled to get up in the mornings. Knowing this bundle of joy relies on me and loves me unconditionally has helped me get up on many days when I didn’t even want to move. Ashton is my best friend.

He simply won’t allow you to be sad around him

Natalie has always wanted a dog, but Maia has brought her more happiness than she could have ever imagined.

We bought Maia because everything in our life was going so right, and the only thing that was missing was her! We went around and looked at a few litters, but nothing felt right until she climbed into our arms. I was never allowed pets growing up, so to have her in my life now is a love I never knew. She is so loving and loyal. Truly one of a kind, she loves to lie at one end of the room rolling the ball to me and enjoys laying on the sofa with her head in my lap.

One of a kind

She’s the best dog a person could ask for. She pulls us up on our down days and brings us higher on our good ones. A dog is the only thing in life that loves you more than itself.

Keeva has helped her owner Lyndsey to spend more quality time with her son

We got Keeva in November after a very tough few months in lockdown. Both my son and I suffer from heart problems, and Keeva really helped us to stay positive during the uncertainty of last year.

Keeva has really helped us to stay positive

Dogs were already a part of our family, as we have two Chihuahuas as well as Keeva. We adore them but they’re getting old and can’t walk far anymore. That just makes training Keeva the puppy all the more exciting. Taking her out for fresh air has kept us going and brought us closer together, and we have so many funny stories we can’t wait to share with our wider family when we can see them again.

Keeva is an Irish name which means bold and beautiful. It reminds me of my other son and his young family. They live in Ireland, so I haven’t seen them in a while, but they’re always in my thoughts.

Mika came into Diane’s life with various behavioural issues due to her difficult past, but now she’s finally living the life she deserves

Mika is a rescue dog. After we lost our last dog, I felt I needed someone else to cuddle. My husband said we were too old for a puppy, so we went to the RSPCA.

The kennels opened and out came a few dogs all barking ‘TAKE ME, TAKE ME’, except for one who was looking and sniffing, without barking. ‘That’s the one’, I said.

We were told she was used to kill badgers as a job. She wasn’t a pet, so she’d had no interaction with people, no affection, and she’d been trained not to bark as that could have alerted the badgers. She has a tattoo in her ear related to the organisation she belonged to. She also has a split tongue and a few teeth missing.

She’s become very loving and sleeps by my side

Mika had various problems that we’ve overcome. For instance, she had no fear of other dogs, however huge they were, and used to take balls from their mouths. She wasn’t affectionate, and she was very difficult to feed. In fact, she would sometimes go a day or more without food, so we had to visit the vet every week to get her weight taken.

Now, she’s become very loving and sleeps by my side. She walks so close to me, I could almost fall over her. We changed her diet, so she’s put on weight, but she still doesn’t get on with other dogs if she’s on a lead. We’ve have had her for seven years now – it’s been a bit scary at times, but well worth it.

Emma’s two dogs, Oakley and Rowan, help her to look after her husband and sons

My Husband lost his memory in an accident in 2011. You only realise how important memories are when someone you love doesn’t have them anymore, so now we put a lot of effort into creating lasting memories for our sons. As part of that mission, we got our dog Oakley in 2016. He is themost loyal and intelligent boy, and he even alerts me when my husband ishaving seizures, though he isn’t trained to do so. I know that if Nick is unwell while out walking, Oakley will look after him for me until I find them.

They both have very different personalities

When we found out his sister was having puppies, we jumped at the chance to offer one of them a home. Rowan joined us last year, and she’s a bundle of fun and mischief. Although technically his uncle, Oakley has become a fantastic big brother to her. They both have very different personalities, but one thing they share is how loving they are to us and each other. I don’t know how we ever managed without them.

Fern’s life as a racing dog was far from easy, so now Karen is making sure she gets the love she’s always deserved

Fern has been with us a few weeks now. She’s an affectionate girl, learning to play, eat nicely, and come to terms with her young, bouncy four-legged brother. She loves a snuggle, she walks like an angel, and she’s always kind to both people and other dogs. She’s also always up for a fuss!

Fate brought Fern into our lives, and she will stay in them for the rest of hers

Before she came to us, she’d had a life in a cage, having to race and being hurt if she didn’t want to. Eventually she was too damaged by racing, so she was deemed useless and moved from Ireland to England. She was put into rescue kennels, then went to a home for a short while, but ended up back at the rescue, through no fault of her own.

Fate brought Fern into our lives, and she will stay in them for the rest of hers. She doesn’t know that yet, of course. She doesn’t know we love her and her gentle ways already. I love her tattooed ears, and the way her burn marks and scars have grown back as white fur on her grey coat. I love her weird jerky attempts at playing, and how she waits patiently for her meals. She will have the life she deserves now, and we will have less room on the sofa!