Bruno has been helping Rachel and her family heal after the tragic loss of their previous pup

Bruno is my whole life! In April 2020, at the beginning of Covid, we were lucky enough to become paw-rents to Barnum, our first Newfoundland. Our love for Barnum was instantaneous and we enjoyed watching him grow. But just after he celebrated his first birthday, he became ill with a large tumour in his liver. We had no choice but to put him to sleep. My heart broke.

I never imagined my heart would ever heal, or that I’d be able to be happy again. But in May 2021, Bruno was born. Sadly, his mum passed away from heart failure after a c-section, so he was hand reared, and I knew I would have to be an extra special mama to him.

Eight weeks later, he came to live with us in Scotland. My very broken heart was about to start healing. From the first moment I saw Bruno, I knew Barnum had sent him to help me heal. It was instant love, and it has grown every day.

Bruno is 22 months old now and is the most gentle and loving dog. He knows when I’m sad and he’s always there to make me happy. Even when I’m happy, he has the ability to make me happier. He has healed our hearts and makes us smile every day.

He’s the sweetest puppy, but he weighs in at 66kg, so his zoomies are something special, especially when he’s running over for a cuddle. He loves to kiss, cuddle and sit on our feet – or sometimes even our knees! He’s the biggest bundle of love and I love absolutely everything about him. His love is special – there are no words to describe it.

He has healed our hearts

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!

Monty loves going for a dip in any stream, lake or canal he can find. Unsurprisingly, his life with Christine is going swimmingly!

I first fell in love with Monty when I saw his photo on a Labrador rescue site. By the time I had registered with them, he had been taken. To my amazement, he was back two weeks later as the lady that had taken him couldn’t cope. The following day I was off to collect him.

I took him to a field to do recall training and soon learned that he loves water! He sniffed out that there was water nearby and took off. The lead went through my hands like butter. He went swimming in the lake with all the ducks, and I ended up in the hospital with second-degree burns. He’s a typical teenager but I still love him!

He’s a typical teenager but I still love him

We couldn’t go past any stream, river or canal as he would want to be in it – and usually was. So, I took him to the local hydro pool for dogs. He loves it and now goes once a month. He cannot wait to be in the pool.

He is a retriever by name and by nature. If it’s on the floor, he will bring it to you, whether you want it or not. If he’s bored, he will fetch you anything he can find, and then run around the living room with it.

He is also a Pets As Therapy (PAT) dog, so he visits our local hospital, as well as one in Leeds. They all love him, have his photo on the walls, and know when he will be coming to their ward. We walk into our local hospital and everyone seems to know him. You can be walking down a corridor and hear someone say “Look, Monty is coming”.

James wasn’t always certain about getting a dog, but as soon as he met Hope, he fell in love

I think it's important to start by saying I wasn't convinced about getting a dog. I had never had one before and was concerned about the commitment. I knew that if we had one, it would be our responsibility to meet all their needs and give them an amazing life, and that isn’t always easy. My wife, however, was sold on the idea, so I went along!

As it turns out, she was completely right – getting a dog was 100% the right decision for us. We found gorgeous Hope, a Border Collie working dog who hadn't quite made the grade on the farm. It didn’t take her long to become part of the family. The moment she saw all her new toys and comfy bed, she was instantly settled.

She tries to herd us around the house

I think she still has some of her old farm habits, because sometimes she tries to herd us around the house. If me and my wife are in separate rooms, she’ll flit between us until we’re all in the same place. She just wants our little family to be cuddled up together, which is why you'll normally find her sitting in-between me and my wife on the sofa.

She always greets me at the door when I finish work, even in the early hours. Hope has completed our family and I wouldn't change anything in the world about her.

Lynda was devastated when Sam suddenly went blind last year but, to her amazement, he hasn’t let that slow him down at all

Sam has shown me that even in dark times, there can still be light. Up until September last year, he was a fun-loving, adventurous young Collie who lived life to the full. Then he went blind, almost overnight. Long story short, despite tests and an excellent specialist, the reason for this remains unknown.

My husband and I were devastated and our other Collie, Caley, soon realised something was wrong as her playmate could no longer see her to play. However, despite the shock and heartache, I immediately started looking into how a blind dog could still live a full and happy life.

Sam has shown me that even in dark times, there can still be light

Sam and I have worked together, learning new commands such as ‘step up’, ‘step down’, ‘careful’ etc. Caley and I wear bells when we are out so he can hear where we are. As a result, he is still able to walk off lead in most places. We live in the Scottish Highlands and he was used to a lot of freedom before he went blind, so it's fantastic that this hasn't been taken away from him along with his sight.

He still enjoys swimming and belts around the garden as if he were sighted. He has inspired me every single day. My sadness for him is still there, but he’s taught me that, despite your setbacks, you can still get on with life and live it to the full. He is absolutely amazing, and I hope he goes on to have many years of adventures up here in Scotland.

Patsy is a girl who knows what she wants, and Rose wouldn’t have it any other way!

Patsy was two when we adopted her from Bath Cats and Dogs Home. She had just had a litter of pups and was handed in. She was tiny, seemed so scared and frail, and we were nervous taking her home. We were so wrong! She walked in, took the bone out of our other dog Eddie’s mouth, pushed him out of his bed and made herself at home. She treated Eddie like her puppy and still does.

Over the months it was clear that Patsy hadn't had the best start. House training was a nightmare, she couldn't walk far as she had little muscle and very cracked pads, she was also scared of walking sticks, but loved people. Six years on and she is so different. She’s much more confident and a local favourite! Patsy loves people and loves a cuddle, and everyone is willing to oblige.

She is our family and we love her

She loves Eddie and still cleans his face every day – even though we don’t think he actually likes it he still lets her do it. Some days she won’t walk, some days it’s like walking a bag of potatoes, but as soon as she’s in the woods, she comes alive! Exploring, chasing squirrels and having fun. And, although she’s not built for swimming (her body to leg ratio is not great) she loves the water and will always paddle in streams and loves a beach trip.

She is getting old, has terrible wind, snores like a steam train and is stubborn like I’ve never known before, but she is our family and we love her. She’s great for a cuddle on the sofa and the comedy value is priceless.