Tessa didn’t adopt Misto in the conventional way – but the pair were meant to find each other, and Misto has helped Tessa to live the dolce vita ever since.

Misto is such a special dog, and he appeared in my life when I was really struggling. My mum had died a few months before and my daughter had moved out, leaving me quite lonely and down.

I went on holiday to Sicily with my niece, staying in a remote spot and one day Misto just appeared! He took a shine to me (and me to him!) and would fine me every day, curling up beside me wherever I was. It felt like my mum had sent him to me, and so we named him Misto in her memory - her favourite greyhound was a brindle called misty, so we ‘italianised’ the name to Misto - which is fitting, as in Italian it means ‘mixed’!

In Italian it means mixed

When I asked hotel staff about him they said he was just a stray - they’d had quite a few pups and various Italian visitors had adopted them but he was the last one.  I asked about the possibility of me adopting him, and they put me in contact with an Italian woman who takes in strays and finds homes for them - not usually as far away as England though

Communicating largely through google translate, we arranged for her to take him in. She kept him for about six weeks, got all his jabs, pet passport and arranged his flight over, and he finally arrived at Heathrow in December 2016.

He brings unimaginable joy to my life. I live by the sea and we both love walks and runs on the beach - which is where the photo was taken.

As a Tibetan Terrier, Teddy’s unlike any of Michelle’s previous dogs, but she loves him more than words can express

I grew up with dogs, as did my husband. So, when we got married, we decided we wanted to get our own dog. My husband had grown up with Tibetan Terriers and said we had to get one. I’d never heard of the breed, but I did a bit of research, found a breeder and Teddy came along in August 2019. He totally changed our lives!

Everyone says their dog is the best, but I know mine really is

Teddy is stubborn, fussy, wonderfully intelligent, independent, loving on his own terms, funny, playful, and full of character. He’s almost human and loves being outside – he’d probably live outside if I let him!

He’s the total opposite to the dogs I had growing up, but I wouldn’t change him for the world, and I’d never get a different breed now. I can’t put into words how much I love my furry boy. He’s loved so much, and he knows it! Everyone says their dog is the best, but I know mine really is.

Jet helped Sue and her family heal after the loss of their beloved Banjo, and now he’s like an older brother to their two younger Whippets

Jet came to us with his brother Rebel via Whippet Rescue. We had recently lost our much-loved whippet, Banjo, at the age of three to an awful brain disease. We were heartbroken.

A few weeks after Banjo’s death, we received a phone call asking if we would consider adopting the two brothers. Their owner had become unwell and was no longer able to care for them. They were being passed around family members, none of whom wanted them. We thought long and hard for at least thirty seconds and said we would love them.

Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack

When we picked them up, every bone was visible. They were sunburnt, their ears were like old leather, and they were scared and bewildered. Over the next few weeks, we healed each other. They filled the enormous void left by our beloved Banjo, and we lavished them with good food and lots of TLC. They spent hours relaxing in the garden, and as they became more confident and settled, they helped out by digging and running all over the beds – but we didn’t mind.

We started taking them out in the car and they became firm favourites at our local National Trust property. They also loved trips to the beach as there was so much space to run. Sadly, we lost Rebel to kidney failure in March this year. However, Jet was not left alone as we had adopted a Whippet Bedlington Terrier cross called Reg in 2022.

At the end of May this year, we also had a message from a friend saying there was another Whippet in need, and she knew we had a ‘vacancy’, so Sam came to join us. Jet is the venerable senior of our little pack and keeps an eye on Reg and Sam.

She may be getting on, but affectionate Shirley is a huge source of comfort for Jacqueline

My daughter, Felicity, bought Shirley as a puppy (I loaned her the money to buy her). She always wanted a pug and finally got one when she was 25 years old. Felicity absolutely loved her little dog, who even featured on top of her wedding cake in sugar form! Shirley became a doting carer for Felicity’s children, too.

Sadly, Felicity passed away aged 34, leaving her two boys (aged two and four), as well as Shirley the dog.

Shirley is such a wonderful little dog who is just full of love

Felicity’s husband found it difficult to care for Shirley, so we adopted her. She spent a lot of time with us anyway, so it wasn’t too much of a trial coming to live with us, particularly as she was aging. As a 15-year-old dog, I think she liked being with two retired oldies.

She snuggles up to us on the sofa every night and has been such a comfort to us. Shirley is such a wonderful little dog who is just full of love.

Ellie completes Margaret’s family, and she is always there for them like they are for her.

Ellie has been with us since she was nine weeks old. She was an RSPCA rescue dog. She is a Staffie Cross, the smallest of five puppies who we fell in love with on first seeing. She isn’t a pet to us, she is our family member.

She is our family member

She has helped me personally through many difficult times — on bad days after losing my precious dad, and when I was diagnosed with breast cancer she never left my side from start to finish of my treatment. She understands our every thought and makes us laugh every day. We always say that she doesn’t think she is a dog!

She has many medical problems herself to overcome but we have always been there for her, like she has us. Life would just not be the same without her.

When Elizabeth rescued Milo, little did she know that he would become the inspiration behind her own dog treat business

In August last year, I stumbled across a photo on social media of a little puppy. He had been found with his siblings on the streets of Bosnia and was looking for his forever home. I had thought for a long time about getting a second dog as my older dog is 12 years old and I wanted some company for both of us. After getting through the rehoming process, I was told I had been picked to rehome Milo.

When I picked him up, a lady walked round the corner with a ball of ears and legs in her arms and instantly I fell in love! Almost a year later and he has led to the most amazing transformation of my life. Before I got Milo, I was withdrawn, anxious, socially awkward, depressed and searching for something.

He has led to the most amazing transformation of my life

Now, I adore going out on adventures with Milo, and he has also triggered my biggest adventure yet. My other dog, Holly, has severe allergies so we were always limited with treats and food. So, when training Milo, a young street dog who is food motivated, I needed to find something they could both have. This led to me finding my passion for making dog treats, and my business was born – Liz's Pet Bakery.

Milo is now chief taste tester and official cuddler! During the week I work full time and at the weekend we regularly attend craft fairs, dog shows and food festivals to showcase our treats. Milo meets and greets all the pups whilst operating his own cuddle booth.

We are now both more confident, social, happy and content and he really did change my life for the better. Although we’ve had low points (and I’ve gone through two carpets and six broadband cables), nothing could've prepared me for the transformation this little lad could bring me. I am proud to say I rescued him, and he wants for absolutely nothing!