Ever since Molly joined the family, she’s been the best walking buddy Dona could ask for

My little Molly is my shadow. She follows me everywhere and likes to snuggle in on the sofa. I love walking and would walk alone as none of my family would come, but now Molly comes with me.

We go for a nine- or 10-mile walk around late morning and it's great having her by my side. I now know so many more people because of her. Before it would be a ‘hello’ in passing, but now we stop for chats. It’s great for my mental health as well, as I suffer from bad anxiety.

I now know so many more people because of her

Molly would do anything for food, and she’s absolutely ruled by her stomach. She knows when it’s time for meals and thumps her food bowl with her paw, until she gets what she wants.

When we got her, she was a very nervous little pup, and being attacked twice by other dogs hasn't helped. But she is so much better, even though she’s still a work in progress. Molly is the baby of the family, and we all love her and her little traits.

Coco was a totally unexpected addition to Irene’s life, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way

I found Coco completely by accident. I went to see some puppies with my sister and nieces one day and came out with a puppy of my own. I hadn’t even really thought much about getting a dog, but I got lucky as Coco is the funniest, kindest and cheekiest dog ever!

She can understand commands in three languages: English, Spanish and Italian. But she chooses when to pay attention to them, no matter the language. She doesn’t do many tricks but has some funny habits.

She can understand commands in three languages

In the evenings, she always expects her teeth to be cleaned after her last walk of the day. When you tell her 'teeth time', she jumps on the sofa and waits patiently while we clean her teeth, put her paw balm on and brush her fur. She is a very good walker, but when she gets tired, she finds the closest bus stop and sits down, expecting to jump on the next bus – she always needs to have the window seat!

Coco makes everyone's lives better. My mum was never a fan of dogs, but she is now totally besotted and makes amazing outfits for Coco (she is the most stylish dog we know). Although getting Coco wasn’t a premeditated decision, I have zero regrets and am glad I had that moment of madness.

Somehow, I also think it was meant to be, as my dad always loved dogs and had many while growing up. But when he married my mum, he had to give them up. He died of Covid in 2020, and in some ways, I think Coco is the dog he was always meant to have.

Sarah quit her office job to spend more time with Ozzy, and now he plays an integral role in her dog-walking business

Ozzy comes wherever I go! I am a dog walker and the reason I gave up my office job was to spend more time with Ozzy. We love our job. Ozzy is the foundation of our business as all new dogs have to meet him to determine their behaviour.

I 100% trust Ozzy to welcome every dog he meets. All the dogs we walk know him – the young ones cling to him, the boisterous ones stay away from and the older ones hang out with him.

Ozzy has been through so many failed relationships and house moves with me. He has been my rock. He knows when to comfort me and when to cheer me up. He will cuddle up to anyone in need.

He's my best friend, work colleague and a huge part of our family

He sat with my dad while he was poorly and comforted my mum when she was sad. All without any prompt. He is a fabulous judge of character. With children, he is so gentle. He knows if they are worried and will stay close but allow them to build their confidence.

One of Ozzy’s party tricks is that he moonwalks out of rooms as he’s not a fan of slippery floors. We’re still unsure why walking backwards works?! Also, he can be found drinking like a horse on a hot day, submerging his whole face in the water bowl – something he learnt from his brother (my horse)!

He's my best friend, work colleague and a huge part of our family. He really is the best dog ever.

Zeus has been through so much himself that he knows just how to help Sandra through the dark times.

My boy is amazing. Three years ago, he went for routine op and sadly became very ill and near death. Through all the treatment he had, he survived and stayed loving, and now we have diagnosed a haemophiliac dog.

That dog has saved my life

His life has changed, but he's the most loving, happy dog. Every day, I wake up to him wagging his tail because he’s so pleased to see me. He has helped me during the worst times – I lost my brother during lockdown and also had a heart op, but that dog has saved my life.

The strength he has to be happy and to go through so much being so ill means I couldn't wish for a better dog. He’s my life. Bless him.

Kirsty is incredibly grateful for Bruno’s infectious love for life

Bruno came to us at just four months old. He is so lively and happy, and nothing ever brings him down. We could never have anticipated how greathe would be for us, or how much he would help our mental health. It’s like he knows when we’re having a bad day and does everything he can to make us feel better.

We honestly can’t imagine life without him

Even though he is a big dog now, he still believes he can sit on our laps. We honestly can’t imagine life without him and it’s even more difficult to remember what it what like before him.

Bruno wants to play with every other dog he sees. His favourite places to walk are along the river or down the beach, though he isn’t a big fan of the sea. We share our love for him on his Instagram page. We just hope that if people are having a bad day, they stumble across his cute pictures and find a reason to smile again.

Daisy is Amii’s best friend, and she has helped to lift her out of a dark place and is always showing her how to enjoy the small things in life.

Daisy came into my life when I was really struggling. I had lost my dad a few years prior and had only just started grieving properly. Daisy acted as a support dog for me every single day, especially on days where I was heavily contemplating no long being around.

I trust her judgement

She gives me the motivation to get up in the mornings rather than just sleep through the day. Waking up to her, all excited to see me, reminds me that it isn’t all about me, as she needs me.

She’s been a very positive influence when it comes to meeting new people as well, as I feel she has a really good sense of character, and so I trust her judgement. She has been my best friend in the whole world for three years now, and I couldn’t be more grateful to my little girl for showing me that there is more to life.