Ever since Elaine adopted Cisco a couple of years ago, he has grown from a nervous rescue into a loving, playful dog

Cisco is an Ibizan Hound cross. He was in a rescue centre in Spain, where he was handed in by a hunter, and then he was moved here to the UK. He was very fearful to begin with, and he still often gets unsettled by people he doesn't know.

It has been an honour to build a bond with Cisco

It has been an honour to build a bond with Cisco and gain his trust over the two years since we adopted him. He loves cuddles and lying against us. His personality has blossomed, and he’s become a goofy character at times. He pads his paws on the spot when he’s excited and can appear like a cartoon character.

He still finds the world scary sometimes, but he has shown so much resilience. He’s also always been a gentle boy and never reacted in an aggressive way, even when he’s frightened.

Madge has become Ruth’s constant companion as she travels all over the UK for her photography project

Madge is quite simply my heart and soul. We understand each other on a level that cannot be described, and she is my constant shadow and best friend.

I have a photography project where I travel around the UK photographing the UK’s rare breeds of ponies. Madge accompanied me on a major expedition to the Outer Hebrides and the Highlands of Scotland. It was just us, meeting wonderful people along the way, and she was that piece of home when it started to feel lonely.

We understand each other on a level that cannot be described

We even went to Snowdonia in Wales on our own, when I wanted to get away from the world and just be with her surrounded by the hills and wildlife.

We also love visiting the sea, where we are starting to paddle board. The first day, when I put the board in the water and went to get on (having never been on before), Madge was at my side with her paw on the board ready to join me. She soon jumped on when I set off and we learned to balance together – she pays close attention to my movements so she knows which way we are going.

Madge loves to be with her family. She always greets me with an excited wag and wants to be cuddled immediately. She loves to do tricks, especially if there is a play or treat involved after. She always knows when I need her to be with me, and she is able to help me relax and de-stress. She is simply perfect and what she means to me cannot be summarised in a paragraph.

During the pandemic, Rosie turned out to be the perfect therapy for Laura’s elderly next-door neighbour

Over the past few years our dog Rosie has become a therapy pooch, albeit very much by accident! During lockdown, our widowed elderly next-door neighbour was self-isolating and very lonely. After a chat over the garden fence near the start of the pandemic, we arranged to shop for her and collect medicines etc.

She is an absolute treasure

But it was our Rosie who really improved her quality of life by visiting her and spending most days with her next door. She’d only come back home through the gate for meals, sleep and walks! Although we missed Rosie’s company, as a family of six, we realised she was providing her with the much-needed love and companionship that she was seriously lacking at that challenging time.

This relationship has subsequently continued. Now the pandemic has ended, our neighbour has sadly been diagnosed with cancer and Rosie has supported her throughout her treatment, giving her a reason to keep going. We are all back at school, college, uni and work, but Rosie continues to share her love with our lovely neighbour. Rosie will always be a positive influence in all of our lives. She is an absolute treasure, sharing her love with two homes!

When Mel was at her lowest, her dogs Brutus and Monty helped her to find the strength she needed to keep going

Not long ago, I was going through a very tough time both physically and emotionally, and had to take some time off work. My husband and I had recently bought a French Bulldog pup called Brutus for my daughter as a 21st birthday present. She works full time, which meant that during the week I had to get up each morning to look after him. Spending time caring for Brutus helped to give me some structure in my day, and soon I started to find a new sense of purpose and happiness in my life.

Brutus helped enormously to give me some structure

He is so full of character, and has brought nothing but love and joy into our lives. Of course, I had to remind myself that he wasn’t actually my dog, but my daughter’s. I think my family realised what a huge impact he was having on my life though, because a few weeks ago, they gave me my very own little French Bulldog, Monty, as an early birthday present!

Monty has fast become a member of our family. He’s full of energy and a very different dog to Brutus, but just as loving and affectionate as his older brother. He gets me up and moving every day and gives me the motivation I need to keep going. I owe so much to my two furry friends.

Pebble came into Linda’s life exactly when she needed her, and she’s made every day a little brighter since

Pebble is my little furry rock. When I lost my husband to cancer, the loneliness was so hard to bear. So, after a lot of research and talking to friends, I decided to look for a puppy. I came across a litter of Beddlington Whippets – the mum was a first cross Beddlington Whippet and the dad was a full pedigree Whippet.

Pebble was one of nine in the litter – two others were smooth-haired like her, while the other six were rough-coated. I fell for her the first moment I saw her at six weeks old. When she was old enough to leave her mum, she came to live with me and has been my constant companion ever since.

I fell for her the first moment I saw her

She's fun, makes me laugh every day and gets me out of the house. I now have plenty of exercise and stop to chat to so many people who marvel at how fast she is. In the evenings we cuddle on the sofa, and she gets into some of the most unusual goofy positions.

We go away together in my campervan and have attended many fun dog shows, country fairs and other charity events – she’s so pretty, she’s done well in many of the shows. She does also have her quirks, like recently she became scared of a new water bowl! And she’s nosey, so she’s been known to walk into fences and walls because she’s turning to look behind her. She’s the very best dog in the world and always brings a smile to my face.

Loving, affectionate and bursting with boundless joy, Sylvie couldn’t be more adored by her owner Jennifer

Our Sylvie is a Dalmatian cross Collie which means she’s all energy, stamina and chaos, but she’s our little cuddle bug, too!

She takes very good care of us humans and is an unofficial wellbeing officer when we’re working from home. If work ever leaves us feeling stressed, she climbs up onto our laps and won’t move until we’ve had a lovely de-stressing cuddle (and face lick).

We’re very lucky to have such a wonderful dog in our lives

She’s also learning DIY support, meaning she’s getting quite good at taking the tools away (now we’re just working on bringing them back!).

Her favourite games are hide and seek, chasing a ball and of course, anything that involves tearing up paper.

Sylvie makes every day brighter and we wouldn’t be without our sock-stealing, cheese-loving friend. We’re very lucky to have such a wonderful dog in our lives.