Brea had a shock diagnosis while still a puppy, but it hasn’t stopped her from becoming a clever and considerate girl

We got Brea on a whim. We’d discussed getting a dog for years, but we’d never taken the idea further. Then, one day, my partner told me someone he knew had some Labrador puppies and, well, the rest is history!

We had a choice of three girl pups, but it was Brea that chose us, refusing to play with her litter mates, and spending the whole time at our feet. She didn’t even cry when she left her litter.

Brea had a rough start to life when she developed a limp that worsened rapidly. It turned out she had a rare bone condition in her elbow and required surgery at six months old. The recovery was expensive, long, and difficult when it came to trying to contain her puppy energy, but we put the time to great use with training. The surgery went well and three years later, the bolt in her elbow gives her no issues.

We’re so grateful and proud she chose us as her family

She’s an obedient dog, knows many commands and tricks and is very enthusiastic to do them, particularly when there is a treat in hand – a typical labrador!

She’s also kind and intelligent. When my mum had knee surgery, she used a walking stick when taking Brea on a walk to steady herself on uneven ground. To our amazement, Brea refused to run ahead when off the lead, and instead stuck next to my mum the entire walk, slowly guiding and taking her around fallen trees on a safer path – we couldn’t believe it! As soon as my mum put her stick away, Brea ran into the water or began playing with her favourite item, pine cones, which she chucks in the air.

We struggle to imagine life without Brea, and are so grateful and proud she chose us as her family.

Ruby and her dog Tony are total opposites – and that makes them the perfect companions

Tony, a scruffy little Brussels Griffon pup, has completely changed my life since I brought him home four months ago. As a visibly physically disabled person, I was always aware of people looking at me when I was out and about, but now it's Tony who gets all the attention – which both he and I love!

He brings a smile to my face

He's given me a reason to get up and out in the morning. He brings a smile to my face every time I look at him, even when he appears with my shoes, socks or even my coat in his mouth, and I cannot imagine life without him.

He's a real 'Velcro' dog and I wouldn't have him anywhere other than right by my side – even when his chosen sleeping place at night is on my head!

Eddie the adorable rescue has completed Julie’s happy family

Our daughter had been asking us to get a dog since she was young, and we finally gave in after losing both of our cats. When we got him, Eddie had already been named after the Jack Russell on the show Frasier, and it suited him so much we didn't change it.

He has the same amount of energy as he did when we first got him, always providing us with lots of laughter. His favourite activity is jumping up to catch the bubbles I blow for him. If I go into the cupboard they’re stored in, he gives a high pitched, excited bark and runs into the room. 

When I garden, he copies exactly what I’m doing

When I garden, he copies exactly what I’m doing. If I dig, he digs, which is often really useful, but if I prune, he grabs hold of the plant and pulls it out, which isn’t so ideal! When I’m watering the plants, he always jumps in front of me and tries to drink straight from the hose.

Eddie has so many more funny habits, like the way he barks at animals on the TV. It’s got to the point where I can't watch a nature programme unless he's asleep. He really is a funny, adorable and very unique dog.

Mille will do anything to help owner Claire’s elderly parents

Millie is a 13-year-old Border terrier who looks after my elderly parents. You can see that she really cares about them. Every morning, she gets up and goes into their bedroom to check they they’re ok. When she goes on awalk with them, she never walks too fast because she knows they can’t keep up

She really cares about them

Once, my dad collapsed in the living room, and Millie lay by his side and would not move until the ambulance came. We basically had to force her to step aside, and once he’d been taken away, she became very sad and lay in her bed until he arrived back home. She didn’t perk up until he came back home, when she became so excited and happy again.

After years of living as a stray in Cyprus, Zola has finally found her forever home with Annabel, and now she’s blossoming into the dog she was always meant to be

I adopted Zola, a German Shorthaired Pointer, on 2nd May this year. She was found as a stray in Cyprus, rescued and looked after in a shelter for about two months until she was well enough to travel to the UK.

She has settled really well in the time she has been here, and I have just started very basic training with her as she was completely untrained. She has definitely come out of her shy, anxious shell and is showing her cheeky, funny, very affectionate character. She is a puppy in a 9-year-old body as she's probably never enjoyed a puppyhood before.

Adopting a neglected, abandoned dog is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done

She loves anything fluffy, especially if she's not supposed to have it, like my slippers and the dog coats I’m knitting for rescue shelters, for example. She pokes her nose in any open drawer or cupboard and loves to grab and run – she is particularly drawn to silicone baking containers for some bizarre reason.

Zola is starting to bond with our other two adopted German Shorthaired Pointers, 9-year-old Baxter and 12-year-old Danny, who’s also a Cyprus rescue. She loves food, food and more food, playing with toys, stealing Danny's tennis balls and doing anything naughty.

She makes me laugh every day and drives me demented from running around saving items from being chewed, but gives me so much love in return. Adopting a neglected, abandoned dog and giving them a loving forever home is one of the most rewarding things I’ve done, and seeing them blossom into the dogs they should have always been is priceless.

Whether they’re supporting each other through tough times or cuddling up on the sofa after a long day, Tilly and her owner Sam share a very special connection

Tilly is my best friend. She was my companion through both my marriage breakup and my son’s terrible time with his mental health.

We have complete trust between us. She caught her leg on a trampoline spring when she was two, and once we managed to release her, I held her until I handed her over to the vet.

We have complete trust between us

She lies next to me on the sofa of an evening, and she always likes to be touching me and giving me 'the look of love’, as I call it. She knows exactly what I’m saying and is a very quiet, thoughtful and intelligent friend. She loves cheese and slices of ham, and she’s very spoilt. She knows she’s my princess!

We got her a new Whippet puppy friend called Sapphire (as she’s blue) this year, and Tilly has been very patient teaching her the ropes. She’s 13 now and getting visibly older, and I dread the day she will leave us.