Bowie has a huge heart and a kind soul, and the effect he’s had on Carina’s life is nothing short of transformative.

Bowie is a ‘Huskador’ – his mum was a Siberian Husky and his dad was a chocolate Labrador. Bowie has chocolate fur with a Husky tail and ruff around his neck and chest. He also has one brown eye and one blue eye!

I got him after my daughter took her puppy, who had been living with me, back to live with her after the first lockdown. There was a huge empty space in our lives, which Bowie has filled for us all.

Has even learned to kiss on command

He has quite the fan club going in the village where we live. It’s not surprising, given he has so many adorable traits – like when he barks and it sounds like he’s shouting 'Hello' at us and our cat! He’s got such a gentle nature that he never barks at other dogs, doesn't chase cats and has even learned to kiss on command.

I’ve had two spinal surgeries, and this in addition to lockdown meant I stopped going on walks. Since Bowie is always keen to go out and explore, he’s succeeded in getting me out for walks up to three times a day!

Irene and her husband are so grateful for the endless love, affection and laughter that Pippit has brought into their lives

We sadly lost our Springer Rowan about the same time that Pip was born. Rowan had travelled all over Europe with us in our caravan and was our constant companion. Losing him broke our hearts, but Pip mended them.

Pip has so many funny quirks

He’s a working Springer, but his favourite place to be is on the back of the sofa, where he sits crouched like a rather odd-looking leopard. Pip has so many funny quirks, like taking his bed out of his crate every morning. He always looks so proud trotting up and down the corridor with it, and he’s kept us going through lockdown just by making us laugh every day.

Pip has a long coat over his shoulders which curls the wrong way, which can sometimes make him look as though he’s got a lion’s mane. One of his favourite things to do is search for treats I’ve hidden around the house for him. In the evenings, he likes to curl round my neck to watch TV. He really is an adorable, loving little chap.

Cooper may keep Louisa and her family on their toes, but it’s impossible to get mad at him

Cooper came into our lives in December 2019. He is the most laid-back but equally energetic dog I've ever met. A lot of Cooper's development time was spent during lockdown, which was wonderful. He was my little working companion – he would sit on my knee and nap, and now, even though he's almost fully grown, he still does the same! He is a pleasure. He helps to wake up my two young sons every morning. I say: "Go and get the boys", and he runs upstairs and licks them until they get up!

He makes us all smile, every single day

One day, we were practicing recall while on a walk with Cooper. It was going great until he spotted a squirrel and did a complete U-turn and chased after it! Off into the bushes he went. They lead into the woods, so we were all shouting him back, but he didn't come back. The kids were distraught. I retraced the whole of our walk, shouting for him, asking passers-by if they’d seen him. No joy. I headed back to the field and told the kids to go home and wait on the step. I carried on the search, as did my husband, and were both becoming increasingly worried.

My husband called me 30 minutes later. I'd still not found him, nor had he. We both carried on searching, but it was getting dark. Another 20 minutes later my husband called saying, "He's home, he's with the boys". Cooper had come tottering back home, covered in all kinds, with a look on his face as if to say, "Where did you go?". We were over-joyed. We couldn't even be mad at him because of this look he had on his face. He makes us all smile, every single day.

Mickey was unlucky with his previous owners, but he’s found his forever home with Annamaria

Mickey didn’t have a great start in life. Not only was he abandoned by his first owner and kept at the shelter for 18 months, but when he was eventually adopted, he was returned after a few days for being too boisterous.

Mickey is very lively

Since we adopted him 10 years ago, we’ve found that Mickey is very lively and loves playtime, snacks and spending time with his human and doggy friends. He also enjoys walking, bringing us his favourite toys at any given moment and foraging for berries (and has an acquired taste for only picking the ripe ones!).

Daisy has inspired Justine with her gentle, considerate and delightful nature

Daisy came into my life when she was 14 months old. My partner and I bought her from a family that hadn't treated her well. She was extremely nervous, but with a lot of love and patience, she blossomed into a confident, friendly, beautiful Jack Russell.

Eight months later, I went into A&E. It turned out that I had sepsis and was put into an induced coma. I was in intensive care for two months. Then, three months later, I came home.

Daisy and I needed to bond again but I was still very ill, so she couldn't sit on my knee or come too close to me anymore.

Daisy was so patient throughout it all. No one needed to tell her to what to do, she simply kept her space until I called her. When the nurses came over, she’d quietly sit in the other room – bless her!

Her lovely ways kept me alive

My partner became my carer, as well as Daisy's only walker. During this time, I was depressed and house bound, but she slept with me when I was poorly and gave me gentle kisses to cheer me up. Her lovely ways kept me alive when I wanted to end it all.

I now live on my own and she’s still a beautiful, loving, caring girl. I'm just starting to walk her again (with the help of my walker) and she’s learned how to walk beside me without ever running away.

Daisy loves it when I sing her a lullaby and she always looks so content when I tell her how pretty she is. She watches birds with amazement and her tail looks like a helicopter when she wants a treat. She loves walking with her doggy friends, and loves her own company, too.

My dear Daisy is a wonderful soul. She has all of my heart, and I thank my lucky stars that she’s in my world.

Stuart’s dog Teddy has transformed his outlook on life, and now he starts every day with a smile

Just as my parents before me, we finally succumbed to my daughter’s persistent requests to get a puppy. A few months later we arrived home with Teddy, a 12-week-old Golden Retriever. I’ll admit, before Teddy I never would have classed myself as a dog-fanatic – but oh how my opinion has changed!

I'm 51 and have suffered with severe anxiety all my life, but Teddy’s smiling face and unconditional love have uplifted me beyond belief. I had could never have imagined the positive impact he’d have on my wellbeing, but he really has had a hugely profound impact on all of our lives.

Uplifted me beyond belief

Because of my anxiety, I tend to wake up very early every morning, which can be frustrating. But now that I have Teddy I’ve started using that time to get out for a walk in the woods, which always helps me to start the day in a better mood. Watching him bound around and explore with such energy and relentless enthusiasm just makes me so happy. He’s always so determined to catch a bird, but hasn’t yet grasped the fact that he can’t fly!

Before Teddy, I never truly understood what it meant when people referred to dogs as ‘man’s best friend’ – but now, I couldn’t be without him. Just looking at his smiling face fills me with joy and makes me feel optimistic about the day ahead.