Fudge has been a loving and reliable companion for Lesley following her sudden family loss

Four years ago in September, I suddenly lost my dad to cancer. We didn’t know he had it until a few days before he passed away. I was very close to him and often helped with his shopping, cleaning and gardening. Losing him was a really big shock and it left me in quite a dark place.

He’s always by my side when I’m feeling low

After this happened, my husband suggested that we get a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as I’ve been wanting one for years. So, on my birthday in December, we got Fudge! He’s been amazing and he’s always by my side when I’m feeling low. We named him Fudge because when my dad was ill, all he wanted to eat was original fudge! When trying to think of a name for him, it was the perfect choice to remember him by.

When Peter first brought him home, Ace was a little uncertain about life with his new family – but he soon settled right in.

We rescued Ace from a British-run dog home out in Cyprus. He was a street dog and had been found by a lovely Cypriot family, after being shot and left for dead by an unknown person. They took him to a vet who had to remove multiple pellets, and it was touch and go for a while. Luckily, he recovered well and they cared for him until he was fit and healthy. Then, they took him to the dog home so that he could find his forever family.

When Ace finally arrived in the UK, he was hungry, tired and scared after his long journey, but bribing him with some cooked chicken helped me to win him over! I brought him home and in the morning he met our two young children for the first time – and he was terrified. It took him a few days to venture out of his dog crate.

He now adores the children and his new home

After a month of being loved and treated like the prince that he is, Ace became braver and started going on walks with my wife and I when the kids were in bed. Almost two years on and he now adores the children and his new home with our family. We take him on lots of walks around the village, as well as further afield. He is a very loving and devoted dog, who likes nothing more than to snuggle on the sofa where he falls asleep instantly, snoring like a freight train!

He was named Ace by our eldest, who’s a six-year-old superhero fan. Apparently, in the original comics, Batman had a rescue dog named Ace! A perfect name for our perfect dog.

It was Samantha’s hikes with her cocker spaniel Roux that inspired her to start her own online walking group for solo hikers

Roux is a very special cocker spaniel – he inspired me to get hiking, which has resulted in one of the biggest walking groups in the Peak District.

Having always been a dog lover, I bought Roux with the intention of learning agility as I wanted an active dog that would love the challenge. Sadly, he suffered an injury at three years old that ended our agility dreams, but I was determined to find another job for him.

I started hiking with Roux and my ex-partner and I realised that we had found our calling. Roux loved hopping up and posing on any rock that we would walk past, and I had finally found something that allowed us to spend real quality time together.

When my ex and I separated, I was heartbroken, but I was determined to keep up hiking with Roux. We walked all over the Peak District. But, as a single woman, I did worry about safety and I realised there must be others in a similar position.

He’s been by my side every step of the way

So in March 2020, I started ‘Walking the Peak District’ – a Facebook group to ensure no one ever has to walk alone if they don’t want to. And of course, Roux has been by my side every step of the way. We could explore safely, and of course dogs were more than welcome!

Fast forward two years and Roux and I still hike most weekends. He’s eight now and can’t cover the mileage he used to, but he still hops onto every rock we walk past!

Our group, now called PeaksNPubs, has 3,600 members. It has introduced hundreds of people to walking in the Peak District and taught over 50 people to navigate safely in the hills. I’ve also been voted into the BMC Peak Area committee and I’ve got a dream of training a Search and Rescue dog.

I hope this will be Roux’s legacy. He’s such a loyal dog and he never leaves my side. We know each other’s thoughts, he never lets me down and so many people have been helped because of him. It all started with Roux.

Ceridwen has a few cheeky little quirks, but Michael and his partner love her unconditionally

Ceridwen is the goodest of girls with just a hint of naughty pickle. She will greet you at the door with a massive smile and boundless energy.

She has no respect for personal space

Her favourite pastime is zoomies on long walks, disappearing off into the long grass, and scaring her mummy when she decides to 'not hear' her recall whistle. At home in the evenings, she has no respect for personal space. She just wants snuggles before bed and will push her sister out of the way as required.

Ceridwen is a sensitive soul though, so she understands when you've had a bad day and will give boundless kisses until you smile – and then take her for more zoomies.

Lena struggled with Indie as a pup, but 13 years later, she’s more than happy she persevered with her

I rescued Indie when she was six months old. By then, we were already her third owners. She’s a Great Dane Labrador cross and she’s going to be 13 in April.

I’ve had many wonderful years with her

She was certainly a challenge and we shed a lot of tears. My husband at the time even wanted to rehome her. But she’s such a character and I’ve had many wonderful years with her since.

She’s one of seven dogs that I own currently. Six of them are rescues from Apollo’s Angels, which is a charity in Cyprus I’ve been involved in running for the last 10 years. We’ve now rehomed more than 1,200 abandoned hunting dogs from Cyprus to the UK. This July will be the charity’s 10th anniversary.

Rocco provided Taryn with the love and support she needed to get back on her feet.

Shortly after Rocco was gifted to me as a Valentine’s Day present, I underwent major knee surgery, resulting in me having to learn to walk again rather than devoting my full attention to my puppy. As I regained my mobility, Rocco was a vital part of my recovery, providing unconditional love and support along with companionship when I was back on my feet.

Rocco was a vital part of my recovery

Earlier this year, as a personal challenge I committed to walking 100,000 steps in seven days for charity. It doesn’t sound like a lot but it was incredibly challenging for me to do, and my hound was with me every step of the way. He joined in the early morning walks when he would prefer to be snoozing in bed, he trotted alongside me each lunchtime delaying his set time for dog biscuits, and he continued with me every evening exploring each new location I took him to. At the end of the week, I had done 4000 extra steps and Rocco had earned consecutive exercise badges on his doggy fitness tracker attached to his collar.