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!

Poppy is an important and treasured member of Vicki’s family. Life simply wouldn’t be the same without her

Poppy has been my little ray of sunshine through some pretty tough times. She never fails to make me smile, no matter what’s going on in my life. She is also the apple of my husband’s eye, and was a big part of our wedding – she wore her flower collar with pride and posed perfectly for all the photos!

She makes us laugh every day

We welcomed a baby into our lives in 2019, who has since become a typical toddler. He adores Poppy just as much as we do, and calls her his little ‘Poppy dog’. She really is the gentlest and most understanding dog I’ve ever known. Sadly, she’s battled with arthritis for many years now and has also ruptured her ligament, so we’ve had to swap her field-sprints for some slow and steady pram-walks, but I don’t think she minds too much.

She makes us laugh every day, particularly because she thinks we don’t know that she steals the cat’s biscuits the minute we go to bed – unfortunately for her, she’s clumsy and always knocks the big bowl over, which gives her away every time! Poppy is our crazy pup, always full of energy and ready to play, especially when there are bubbles and balloons involved. She is my constant companion and best friend.

For many years, Dusty has been an invaluable source of support for Heather’s son, despite his health challenges

Our eldest son, who is six now, was born with several medical conditions. Dusty has always seemed to know this. From a puppy, she was always next to Stanley. Stanley was unable to see for a significant time and Dusty would bring her ball and drop it into his hand so he could throw it for her. Then she’d chase it, bring it back to him and place it in his hand again.

Stanley was also born with complete weakness on his right side, so he struggled a little with his walking. So, Dusty would press herself against him to support him whilst he was going about his day-to-day business. When our youngest was born, Dusty became protective over him too, but she always knew Stanley needed a little more help.

She almost sees herself as a sibling to the boys

Thankfully, an operation back in March 2020 meant that Stanley’s vision was much improved. Old habits die hard though, so Dusty still treats him as though he has trouble seeing. She sleeps at the end of the bed. If he wakes up in the night, she guides him to the bathroom and back to bed. And if he rolls too close to the edge, she lies alongside him to keep him from falling out.

It seems like she almost sees herself as a sibling to the boys. She joins in with their games and follows them round. Quite often, she sits next to the play kitchen while they ‘cook’ her dinner, or helps them dig in the sandpit. She even follows them around in the sea on holiday! Then she rounds them up and she makes sure that nobody is left behind.

Dusty goes everywhere with us. As soon as we open the car door, she jumps straight in. She’s a best friend to both of our sons and our family wouldn’t be the same without her.

Kylo always knows exactly what his owner Suzanne needs, whether it be love, a helping hand or just a reason to smile

I have Muscular Dystrophy and am in a wheelchair, so I wasn’t sure how a puppy would fit into our lives initially, but I knew I wanted the love and companionship only a furry friend could provide.

Kylo is now one year old and has already exceeded all of my expectations. He is such a loving dog and is never happier than when he’s sitting with us and getting lots of attention. He is very sensitive to my disability and will sit by my legs as though protecting me from the world (something he doesn’t do to anyone else). He also sits and waits patiently whenever I go past in my wheelchair, and even seems to sense when my feet and legs are painful.

He has brought such love, joy and affection

He has recently learnt to bring me my socks when I ask him to, after many months of grabbing them and taking off! We all utterly adore him, and he has brought such joy, love and affection into our family life.

Whenever you enter room, he will always greet you with a very enthusiastic tail wag – we call it the helicopter. He’s so smart and learnt all his commands and tricks in no time. Although, despite his intelligence, he is still absolutely terrified of the microwave!

Doug the Springer Spaniel hasn’t had an easy year, but Bernadette is in awe of how well he’s handled it

When Doug broke his leg on the Isle of Mull last July, there were no vets on the island to help him. We begged our way onto a ferry to Oban where the vet sedated and x-rayed him. The next day, we travelled to the West Midlands for him to have surgery.

Through it all, he still wagged his tail

Now, after a year of rehab, hydrotherapy and lead walks (which he hates), Doug is near enough back to his old crazy Springer self.

He’s amazing and through it all, he still wagged his tail!

With her appreciation for the finer things in life, Emily’s dog Indi is about as elegant as they come – until food’s involved

Indi is a Weimaraner who we rescued from a dogs’ home four years ago. It immediately became clear that she was a real lady, as she showed a preference for soft carpet and a tendency to sit with her front paws crossed.

We still can’t comprehend how she ended up in a home

She was initially incredibly wary of people and other dogs, but over the years she’s become increasingly social and now loves nothing better than a pack walk. She comes everywhere with us and adores the hospitality of local restaurants and pubs.

Her favourite is doggy tapas (her tastes are quite upmarket). But while she appears a true lady, she has the eating habits of an absolute pig and takes an ‘eat now and ask questions later’ approach.

Indi has brought an incredible amount of joy to our lives, and we still can’t comprehend how she ended up in a home. She is one in a million.