Henry was taken to be put to sleep at six months old as his leg was badly smashed. Luckily, the vet nurse asked for his life to be spared, and after having his front leg amputated, he came to us.
Having three legs has not held Henry back and he’s fearless. In his younger days, he could always outrun our Lurchers. He’s getting old now but he’s still the boss in our house.
Having three legs has not held Henry back
He’s welcomed many rescue dogs that we’ve fostered over the years and helped them overcome their fears. Our other dogs respect him and know he’s a special boy.
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!
We rescued Millie from Bosnia in June 2020. She was a poor frightened girl who had never been in a house or had any love, and she was destined for the kill shelter.
We had to house train her, give her space, build up her trust with us and teach her to walk with a harness. After six months and lots of memorable moments, she finally blossomed into the most loving, loyal and happy dog.
She brings joy to our lives every day. We walk on the beach and go to nature reserves, coffee shops and cafés. Everyone knows her and she even has her own Facebook page with her brother Basil, who we adopted from Budapest six months after Millie.
She dug up a WWII bomb in our garden
Millie has been Basil’s mentor. He had been badly abused and she has taught him to play and trust other dogs and humans. She puts her paw on his head when he’s anxious and wraps her front legs around him when he’s scared.
Since coming into our lives, Millie has gone swimming in our pond with the fish (who were not impressed). She has dug up a WWII bomb in our garden which resulted in the bomb disposal unit being called out. She has caught a blackbird in her mouth without hurting it, and now they are best of friends. She has rearranged the garden, dug up plants, buried our shoes and climbed the trees to steal bird food.
When we go on holidays together, Millie and Basil come with us, even when we are playing in our band. Our world is a much better place with them in it.
Fynn is our sailing buddy. As a Labrador, he delights in all forms of water!
He splashes through the waves
Since he was a puppy he has come on board with us on our dinghy, and has always enjoyed every moment of it. We love his company as he splashes through the waves, trying his hardest to catch flotsam and jetsam and make other water users smile.
His company is somewhat less enjoyable in our canoe due to his excited dashes from side to side in order to look over into the water. He is indeed a water dog through and through, and a sail would not be the same without him!
Pepper has taken on the role of big brother as if it’s his calling!
He’s absolutely brilliant
When we welcomed our first son in July 2023, we were worried how Pepper would feel, as he’s always been the baby in our family. However, he’s absolutely brilliant – he even waits by the baby’s bed each morning and barks at me when he wakes up!
Tony, a scruffy little Brussels Griffon pup, has completely changed my life since I brought him home four months ago. As a visibly physically disabled person, I was always aware of people looking at me when I was out and about, but now it's Tony who gets all the attention – which both he and I love!
He brings a smile to my face
He's given me a reason to get up and out in the morning. He brings a smile to my face every time I look at him, even when he appears with my shoes, socks or even my coat in his mouth, and I cannot imagine life without him.
He's a real 'Velcro' dog and I wouldn't have him anywhere other than right by my side – even when his chosen sleeping place at night is on my head!