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.

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!

Swizzle is a bundle of laughs, and Grace is very grateful to have him in her life

Swizzle is our miniature black and tan Dachshund. He’s changed our lives for the better in so many different ways, like helping to keep us active. One of our favourite things to do now is go for a long walk, and without Swizzle, we would never have discovered some of the nature trails or beautiful sites in our local area.

Having Swizzle also means we can’t be picky – we have to go for a walk come rain or shine. Getting outside no matter what has helped to improve our mental health, especially in these difficult times we’re all facing.

He’s changed our lives for the better

Swizzle makes us laugh everyday with his unique quirks. He always comes to sleep in our bed, but he doesn’t just curl up at the end – no, he lies with his head on the pillow, flat on his back, just like a human.

Like a typical Dachshund, he loves to bark out the window at other dogs passing by, and he gets particularly excited if he sees one that looks like him. We’re sure he thinks he owns the street outside our house!

Lynn might be retired, but with naughty little Alfie to keep her company, her life is anything but quiet!

We got Alfie when he was just eight weeks old, just after I had retired. I have rheumatoid arthritis and need to keep myself mobile – and Alfie is just what I need, providing me with reason to get out and walk every day.

He can be very naughty

He is physically and mentally a force of nature, but he is such amazing company and we love him dearly. He can be very naughty – he knows what he shouldn’t do but likes to do it anyway! He always makes up for it though, by jumping up and giving us kisses.

Paula didn’t give up on Denzil, and because of that he found the strength to survive. Now he’s helping other dogs do the same.

Denzil is a Morkie and we bought him from a registered kennel in Wales. His story is very special as he is the only dog to survive severe GME (Meningitis). He has had a research paper done on him by Liverpool University, veterinary hospital.

Problems started just after his first booster at our vets. We thought he was just having a reaction to his injections, then a few days after finishing his medication, he collapsed in our garden! We took him to our vet straight away and luckily one of the vets was from Germany and said that she thought it could be meningitis. They referred us to Liverpool university Wraith animal hospital.

His story is very special

What ensued was 18 months of IV treatment, 32 tablets a day and five 10-hour chemotherapy sessions. I researched the best foods to give him, and I also used aromatherapy massage to help ease the muscles in his spine and he started to respond. Finally, at nearly 3 years old he was given the all clear! Denzil now has his own Facebook page to raise awareness of this terrible disease and to encourage vets to refer immediately.

Debs couldn’t be without her loyal dog Vega, who does everything she can to make her owner’s life easier

Vega is my trainee Disability Assistance Dog. Lockdown has put a stop to training sessions and temporarily prevented her from becoming fully qualified, but in our home, she’s become our very own saviour.

On my bad days she stays close by my side so she can help me out. She picks up things I drop, fetches numerous ‘named’ items on request such as shoes and medication and even takes off my socks, jumpers, trousers when asked. She also does a lot to help around the house, like fetching the phone when it rings and tidying up after my two other dogs.

She’s become our very own saviour

When I’m in a lot of pain, Vega lies across my legs to comfort me. Of course, I’m not the only one she helps – my older dog, Skye, has early dementia, and when she’s having a bad day, Vega will lie with her and help to calm her down. She even knows to pick up the dog bowls after dinner time and take them to the sink!

The greatest gift Vega gives me is her company. She is always close by and I know I can rely on her when I need help. This year, we’ve both learnt to understand each other, which has really strengthened our bond. She teaches me just as much as I teach her.