After a tough start in life, Bailey is enjoying lazing away his days with Paul and his partner

Master Bailey is such a delightful part of our small family. He’s a Patterdale/Jack Russell mix, or Patterjack for short. He can be extremely lazy when he wants to be, and loves to play with his chews but will not have anything to do with a ball. He used to have a favourite soft toy that he took everywhere with him when he was younger. It was just a little too big for him, but he still loved it.

Bailey loves his sleep – he would sleep for 14 hours a day if you didn't persuade him to get up. He loves to walk but rarely runs unless there's a chew thrown or another dog comes trotting by, especially if it’s a female. He's a bit of a ladies’ dog. He's also very observant and can be loud when he wants to be, particularly when it comes to strangers.

I love him with all my heart, and he knows it

Bailey had a harsh upbringing. The people who owned him didn't respect him and confined him to a cat carrier, instead of a crate. He didn't have any room to turn around and they said he was uncontrollable, which is why they kept him in very crammed conditions.

He was abused and taken up the yard and blasted with a water hose. Now, he hates violence and barks uncontrollably for it to stop, as he saw a lot of it before he came to us. But he's very loyal to me and his dad. I love him with all my heart, and he knows it.

Not only has Daisy made Ethel’s life better, but she’s now helping many more people in her local community

Daisy is a toy poodle, and a Dogs Trust girl. I adopted her in October 2020, when she was 11 months old. She hadn't had the best start in life, but since then, my shy little girl has blossomed into a beautiful, confident, intelligent little dog who just loves life.

Once she’d settled into her new life, we attended our local dog obedience classes and Daisy excelled herself, passing her beginners tests with ease. She was awarded her medal, rosette and a lovely crystal plaque for ‘Outstanding Achievement’ in December 2021. In the summer of 2022, she passed her outdoor training test, for which she also received a certificate. Daisy really enjoyed her classes and in December 2022, she passed her intermediate tests and again was awarded a medal and rosette.

Daisy was born to make people smile

One of Daisy's greatest loves is people, so we offered our services at a local adult day care centre, which caters for older folks who attend one or two days per week. They enjoy lunch and companionship in a lovely centre, which provides them with all sorts of entertainment. Most of the elderly visitors once had a pet in their lives but are now too frail to care for one.

They’ve really bonded with Daisy who’s very happy to visit, being the well-behaved young lady she is. She sits on their knees and enjoys cuddles. She was even invited to their Halloween and Christmas parties!

Sometimes the centre has entertainers and Daisy loves these events. At one of them, another day care centre had come along to enjoy the fun. And when they saw how much the elderly folks enjoyed petting Daisy, we were asked if we could visit their centre too. Daisy was born to make people smile, and she does exactly that with the members and staff at the centre.

Lucia makes every day brighter for Holly, whether she’s making her laugh or comforting her baby daughter

Lucia makes us laugh every day – she’s an entertainer with such a unique personality. She’s even learned to ring a bell! She’s cheeky but also so loving, greeting anyone she meets with a wholehearted cuddle.

We welcomed a daughter last year and Lucia loves her. She’ll lick the baby’s feet and try to comfort her when she’s crying. She loves all people and dogs and thoroughly enjoys going anywhere.

We are always having to stop on walks for Lucia’s meet and greets with the public. We really would be lost without her and she’s a very big part of our family.

She makes us laugh every day

Dolly has come a long way to find her forever home with owner, Caroline

Dolly is a rescue dog from Merlin's Haven Rescue in Cyprus. I got her in 2020, at a time when my mental health wasn’t great, as my boyfriend had suddenly passed away.

His dad gave me some money from his pension, and since he was a lover of dogs and always tried to help the homeless, rescuing a stray dog seemed like a good way of spending it.

She’s such a lovely dog

When Dolly first arrived, she was very timid and nervous after giving birth to two litters of puppies. It took a long time for her to settle in, but she’s such a lovely dog and has given me a reason to get up in the mornings.

I spend most Saturdays on long country walks with her and my friend (sometimes my teenage daughter, too – if she's out of bed!). Dolly is now a Velcro dog, and very rarely lets me out of her sight. She’s very relaxed for most of the day, but loves walkies and squirrel chasing!

Simba came into Deirdre and her husband’s life at one of their lowest moments, but over time he’s helped them heal

Simba came to us as a 14-week-old puppy. We’d recently lost our first cockapoo, Ellie, to hypothermia at 17 months, after she fell in a river in a freak accident while chasing a bird. We were devastated, and coming home to just an empty cage and her favourite toy was horrible.

I knew that I had to do something, so when I saw the advert for Simba, I made an enquiry. We went to see him that evening and we brought him home the very next day. Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss – he makes us laugh, he makes us cry, he exasperates us beyond measure, but he is always there for us when we are sad or upset.

Simba has helped us come to terms with our loss

Simba will never replace Ellie, who’ll always have a piece of our hearts, but he’s so loving and very much a mummy’s boy. He’s my shadow, following me everywhere and crying if I leave the room. He also steals things he shouldn’t, like underwear, socks or anything else he knows belongs to us and is out of bounds – even my mobile phone! I think I’m on phone case number six because he likes to chew them.

Simba's my life. He doesn’t have a nasty bone in his body and would defend his pack (my husband, myself and our best friend) to the ends of the earth to stop us getting hurt. He’s a very special dog, and I’m so glad that I found him at one of the worst times in my life. He’s my rock and I love him beyond words.

Albert the St Bernard puppy is such a huge part of Beth’s life that he’s even going to play a role in her wedding.

I lost my dog a few years ago and decided that I was going to wait until my circumstances had changed to get another. I then met my amazing partner and we decided to look for a puppy.

After a lot of discussion, we decided on a St Bernard. We found a wonderful lady in England who had just had a litter and we contacted her and that was it, Albert was booked. He brings us all more joy and happiness then we could imagine and we could not love him more.

Albert makes us laugh every day and brings us together as a family. He will also walk down the aisle with me at our wedding next year. We just can’t wait!

We could not love him more