Eve always knew Finley was cheeky, but she didn’t realise how cheeky until she found out what he’d been getting up to every time she went to work

Finley is as sweet as a dog could get. We have had such an amazing bond since the day he was born. He is so loyal, cheeky and playful – I really don’t know what I would do without him.

I live at home with my family and we have always had a strict ‘no dogs upstairs’ rule in place, but recently that has become a little lax. Finley loves nothing more than being upstairs and sleeping on the end of my bed. Though I have to say, the 6am wake up calls from him laying on my chest and wagging his tail so hard he could almost take off aren’t always appreciated!

He was taking underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa

I work alternating day and night shifts, so whenever I’m not there Finley would look around my room for me and have a general sniff around. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing.

It turns out every time I wasn’t there, Finley was taking a set of underwear out of my washing basket and stashing it underneath the sofa. One night I came home earlier than expected, and when I walked upstairs there was Finley with the guiltiest look on his face and a pair of knickers in his mouth.

I asked for them back and he just RAN. At 3am, this is the last thing I wanted to do, but there I was chasing Finley round the house whilst trying to be as quiet as possible. He was in his element. And it’s safe to say, I now put the lid on my washing basket!

Emma fell in love with Crissy from the moment she rescued her in Spain, and she knew straight away she had to adopt her

I started volunteering in Spain at a rescue six years ago. One day, a skinny, 11-month-old Great Pyrenees cross was brought in.

Her previous family had mistreated her, and she was so scared. As we carried her into her kennel, she was clinging to us for dear life and trembling. I couldn't bear to leave her in there, so I took her into my cabin where I was staying.

She settled onto my bed but didn't take her eyes off me. I popped into the shower and, when I looked down, I realised that Crissy had climbed into the cubicle with me and was just sitting there, looking up at me. In that moment I knew I had to adopt her.

She’s a big dog, but so gentle

I brought her to the UK, and she's not left my side since then. At 50kg, she's a big dog, but so gentle. She is wonderful with children. She loves her food, so once she's back from a walk she talks to us until she gets her food. She loves smaller dogs and protects my partner’s little dog when we go for walks.

Since getting Crissy, I've ended up setting up my own rescue with a Dutch lady in Spain. We rehome dogs across Europe and this year alone we’ve found forever homes for 20 dogs in the UK. I’ve also rescued another dog, Timmy, who Crissy welcomed with open paws.

She's my best friend and has been a constant in my life. People say she's lucky to have me as I spoil her, but I'm the lucky one as she brings such love and happiness to our family.

After losing one of their dogs a few years ago, Sally and her family have been treasuring every moment with Lily

Lily is the most loyal, faithful Labrador. We’ve had her since she was a pup, along with our Labradoodle Ozzy, who we lost to cancer in April 2020. Lily adored Ozzy and we were afraid she would pine. But thankfully her personality has shone through. She’s very greedy and has emptied bins and hoovered up the flour that we put out to discourage ants.

I can’t bear to think what life would be like without her

She’s struggled with walking long distances lately, so we bought her a large dog buggy for longer trips. She wasn’t keen at first, but now she loves it and prefers riding to walking. She sits just like a princess, enjoying the journeys. She’s never slept on the sofa before, but ever since we’ve had our son and his dog staying with us, she enjoys jumping on the sofa each night after we've gone to bed.

She was also named after the Queen (Lilibet), as she was due to be born on the Queen's birthday. I can’t bear to think what life would be like without our truly adorable Lily, who everyone loves. And she loves them too, especially if they have a treat in their pocket.

Sabina’s husband didn’t want a dog, but then Buckley came into their lives and changed everything for the better

After many years of begging my husband for a dog, he finally relented. He always said if we were to get a dog, it would have to be a Jack Russell. I didn't argue! Buckley was like a wrecking ball. He moved in and stole our hearts.

I'm still working full time and my husband is retired. Little did I know what my boys were up to while I was at work. Now, thanks to my dearest husband, Buckley will only eat if he's fed with a fork! When his food is in his bowl, he’ll nudge one of us until we get up and feed him. If we ignore him, he gives us a pretend nip and vocally argues until we feed him. I was furious with my husband, but alas, what’s done is done.

Buckley has brought so much love and fun to our lives. He’s a very active doggy and goes out on adventures four or five times a day. He loves riding in my car and will push his nose out of the window for some fresh air – while strapped to his booster seat, of course.

Buckley also loves the ladies. In fact, he can be very amorous, to the point where most female dogs will run away while he's left howling like a wolf. He also loves mucky puddles, and he’s a regular snorkeler. He blows bubbles in the puddles, then tries to catch them while I stand in the rain, wet through.

I’m a nurse and the last three years have been extremely stressful. I also lost my dad in April last year and was unable to attend the funeral. Buckley has really helped me and my family through these rough times. No matter what I'm feeling on any given day, coming home to him makes everything better. I truly believe he was meant to be ours! And I wouldn't change him for the world.

Coming home to him makes everything better

With Mary’s help, Basil has gone from a scared rescue pup to a happily settled pooch who’s full of mischief

I had been thinking about fostering a dog for some time and thought that a rescue was the way to go, as the rescue centres were absolutely full to the hilt with dogs in need of loving homes. At the time, l was suffering from depression and thought looking after a dog would be a motivation to get up in the mornings.

I saw on social media that there was a puppy in Bosnia that a rescue centre was looking to bring to the UK, and l made an application to foster him. I was successful and Basil came into my life on 24 March 2022, aged just eight months old.

I've never regretted adopting him, even if none of my slippers, socks and shoes are safe!

At first, it was difficult – he was scared of every household appliance, he didn't want to be indoors (day or night), he would not sleep at all, and he didn't know how to play. However, after a couple of weeks, he settled down and his friendly, cheeky, mischievous and inquisitive side began to shine through.

After fostering Basil for a month, l decided to adopt him – how could I ever let this beautiful soul go? I've never regretted my decision, even if none of my slippers, socks and shoes are safe from him! He is addicted to tummy tickles and loves to boop me on the nose to tell me he loves me.

Poor Basil has just had a double operation, so he is slowly recovering and getting lots of rest, TLC and treats (it is costing me a fortune in chicken). We are planning lots of long walks and maybe a trip to the seaside when he is well enough to travel. There are so many adventures to look forward to, and we will no doubt enjoy them together.

Tracey loves her dog Chewy for all his adorable – and hilarious – quirks

Chewy came into my life a year ago, back when I really didn’t think I had the room for another pet. At the time, we already had two elderly dogs who have sadly now departed, and if it wasn’t for Chewy, I don’t know how I would have coped.

He is adorable and such a character

I fell in love with Chewy as soon as I saw him. He is adorable and such a character that it didn’t take long before my partner was smitten too. Chewy is very stubborn (apparently this is a common trait amongst bulldogs), and he sulks if you ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do, like go out for a walk when it’s raining. He has a thing about cardboard boxes and loves to tear them to shreds. He is very greedy and will go to any lengths to claim food, even if it’s not something he actually likes!

Chewy is big and solid but still believes he is a lap dog, so loves to curl up on my knee in the evening. He really is a wonderful addition to our family, and I couldn’t have asked for a better lockdown buddy.