Natalie has always wanted a dog, but Maia has brought her more happiness than she could have ever imagined.

We bought Maia because everything in our life was going so right, and the only thing that was missing was her! We went around and looked at a few litters, but nothing felt right until she climbed into our arms. I was never allowed pets growing up, so to have her in my life now is a love I never knew. She is so loving and loyal. Truly one of a kind, she loves to lie at one end of the room rolling the ball to me and enjoys laying on the sofa with her head in my lap.

One of a kind

She’s the best dog a person could ask for. She pulls us up on our down days and brings us higher on our good ones. A dog is the only thing in life that loves you more than itself.

Sarah is amazed at the huge positive influence Amber and Bella have had on her family

My two dogs, Amber and Bella, have brought so much happiness to our family. They act as therapy dogs for my little boy who has severe autism. He lives in a world of his own and very rarely lets people in. Our dogs havebrought him laughter, smiles, love and a bond that’s unbreakable. With them around, he’s always giggling and interacting with us. They’ve made our lives complete.

Our dogs have brought him laughter

Ruth’s dog Lazlo has helped to bring her family even closer together

When Lazlo came into our life, we had not long adopted our children. He helped them to understand that we were their forever family.

A while later, when I temporarily lost sight in one eye, Lazlo was my loyal companion. He guided me until I was better, always looking out for me to make sure I was ok. He’s such a calming influence and adapts so well to any situation.

Lazlo was my loyal companion

He fits in perfectly with our family and looks after his furry companions as much as his human ones. He has two sister cats, Flossie and Raven, two house rabbits called Harley and Quinn, and this year, he even got a new sister puppy, Lyra.

Lazlo is so protective of us all that he can sometimes get quite ‘barky’ when anyone new approaches us. He may be a dog, but he’s got the heart of a lion!

Rose and Vienna have had so many adventures together, and they can’t wait for what the future holds

I had wanted a Collie for a long time, and when Vienna came into my life everything fell into place. We started attending puppy classes, which she loved, so we moved onto bigger things such as ring craft, which trained her up to become a show dog.

We’ve had an amazing time travelling around the country, meeting so many wonderful people and dogs along the way. I’d never experienced anything like it before, and neither had Vienna, so I’m really glad we got to do it together.

We had an amazing time travelling around the country

Our favourite pastime is to go on walks. Vienna has taken me to some incredible places, and our hikes just get longer and better the more we branch out. No matter what the weather is, she’ll be there with a smile. I don’t know where I’d be without her.

Hudson is a real character with lots of funny quirks, but that’s exactly why Jade loves him so much.

Hudson is the joy of mine and my partners’ lives. He is a rescue street dog from Romania and a cross between a Border Collie and a Labrador. His personality just shines and astounds us every single day, especially when it comes to food. He is honestly the most food-orientated dog ever, he would do anything for a little bit of cheese or chicken!

He has many quirks that seem to get weirder and weirder, but of course make him cuter every day. He barks and runs in his sleep, and even dribbles so much that it drops onto the floor just before being given his night-time biscuit.

His intelligence astounds me

His intelligence astounds me, we have bought him numerous puzzles for dogs where you hide treats on all levels, and he has figured out every single one of them within three minutes or under!

He loves his naps and gets super grumpy when woken, which is just so adorable. I wouldn’t consider getting another dog that wasn’t a rescue, these dogs have so much love to give and you can tell how much he appreciates us on a daily basis. Rescuing a dog is amazing and so rewarding, I am so glad to have my Hudson!

Jennifer’s dog Drax may be clumsy, but that just makes him all the more adorable

We think our dog Drax may actually be a small bear. He’s huge, huggable and absolutely ridiculous. We rescued him from being put to sleep just two days before Christmas, and it’s still impossible to believe no one wanted him!

He’s actually the clumsiest animal

Drax look majestic and is very handsome, but he’s also extremely clumsy. He knocks over pretty much anything in his path, will break through closed doors if you shut him in a room even for just a minute, and always shouts at you if he doesn’t agree with what you’re doing. But Drax is also the most loveable dog I’ve ever met – and that’s saying something, because as fosterers, we’ve encountered a lot.

We may have rescued Drax, but really, I think he rescued us more.