After a fall out with his partner, Peter decided that Kush was the perfect way to bring the family back together

The bizarre story behind us getting pup: one Sunday afternoon, my partner and I had a ‘heated debate’ which resulted in her going to stay at her mum’s for a couple of weeks. The next night, my son and I were talking about our old dogs, as it had been five years since we lost them, and something in my heart said, ‘is it about time we looked for a new dog?’ The look on my son’s face was answer enough and we googled ‘blue Staffordshire Bull Terrier pups for sale’.

We couldn’t imagine being without him!

The top search result was an advert for six white pups and just one blue. Here's where fate kicked in: the pups were in a Shropshire town, a couple of hours from us and not somewhere we would normally go, BUT I already had a work meeting booked in that very town later in the week!

I contacted the breeder and arranged to visit on the day of the meeting. I took my son and, as they say, Kush chose us by sitting on my son’s knee the whole time we were there. We brought him home and that just left the tiny issue of telling my partner I bought a dog!

Rather than ruin a good surprise, I said nothing and waited for her to come back from her mum’s. As she came through the door, I left pup on the floor right in front of her. Needless to say, she immediately fell in love with Kush and all was good. He's now a year old and we couldn't imagine being without him!

Seero may be small in size, but he’s made a big impact on Ashleigh and her fiancé

In February 2020, my fiancé and I were looking to adopt a shelter/rescue dog. We live in an upstairs apartment so wanted a small dog. None of the shelters around us had any though, so we took to searching through Facebook.

Adopting Seero was the best decision we’ve ever made

My partner came across an appeal for a little black dog in Cyprus. He had four separate posts from the charity hoping someone would take an interest in this little boy, but nobody seemed to. That broke our hearts – he looked absolutely perfect to us and we fell in love with the photos of him. We thought it would never happen. How would we get him to North East Scotland from Cyprus? I messaged the shelter's page to enquire. A week later we were picking Seero up from a drop-off point in Glasgow. We couldn't believe our luck.

I've had a horrible year due to poor health and being unable to work for the time being, and Seero has definitely saved me – and my partner – more than we saved him. Waking up to his little face, a wagging tail and big kisses has been amazing. He really seems happy now. His eyes were once sad, but now they’re full of love. Adopting Seero was the best decision we've ever made. I would advise everyone to consider adopting.

Rescue dog Thor has shown Laura just how important compassion is

Thor is our larger-than-life bundle of joy. We rescued him when he was around six months old. He’s been through a lot, but the loyalty, trust and love that he gives us has changed the way I think and behave, and he even encourages me to be more compassionate towards others.

He’s also taught me to laugh more

Having Thor has made me realise that forgiveness can be comforting, and companionship is important. He’s also taught me to laugh more, especially when he plays chase with other dogs (not many can keep up with him!) and when he loses his beloved tennis balls in the sand at the beach.

He’s so funny in many ways, like how he knows exactly when it’s 8pm, which is his treat time. He always comes and puts his head and paw on your lap, looking up at you with those big eyes. It’s impossible to resist!

Lena the sassy pup has filled Katie’s life with love and laughter.

Rescued from Romania, where she was attacked as a tiny pup, Lena just lights up my life every minute. Left with facial deformities, she is my little snorting hyena.

She is my little snorting hyena

Seeing how far she has come in the (almost) two years since I adopted her gives me such a sense of happiness. She has given me a purpose and something to care for when, at times, I can feel like I am not worth much.

Filled with so much sassiness and energy, she is (in my eyes) the best, purest gremlin ever.

Cheeky chappy McLaren helps his owner Vicky to keep her independence, and always puts a smile on her face

McLaren is a Canine Partner Assistance Dog, so not only is he a great companion, but he is a brilliant help to me in my everyday life. He picks up dropped items, lends me a paw when I’m doing the washing and even gives me more confidence when we go out and about.

He’s such a cheeky chap

Everyone loves McLaren, he’s such a great ice breaker. He’s a cheeky chap, and loves to clown around and make you laugh. He also has a penchant for gloves and socks, and will happily steal them and parade round the house, hoping to be bribed with treats for their safe return!

I’ve been shielding since March and I haven’t been able to go out to the shops or see friends or family, so having McLaren with me has had a huge positive impact on my wellbeing. He cheers me up if I’m feeling lonely, is always up for an adventure and loves playing games of hide and seek or dancing to music. He is my hero.

FAngela adores her dog Evie, especially for her positive outlook on life

My Chocolate Labrador was the smallest of her litter, weighing only 1.5kg at eight weeks old. We spent a lot of time building her up, as she lives with two other, larger Labradors. She thrived on the attention, food and exercise, and is now a healthy 27 kg.

She keeps us going

When she was one, she was diagnosed with epilepsy. I am so proud of herand the way she just gets on with life. We treat her the same as our other two dogs, so she enjoys going on walks, eating and playing. With her happy-go-lucky character, she keeps us going, always reminding us to stay positive. Evie has taught us that life is too short to spend it worrying. We admire her so much.