Sarah showed Paddy some kindness, and now he’s a treasured member of her family

Paddy arrived at the rescue centre where I volunteered in November 2009. He was so terrified that he was put straight into a quiet area, where I sat with him. I took him home as a foster dog, and before long, he had become a permanent member of my family.

We had to Paddy-proof the house

He is quite a character. He counter-surfed until we trained him not to, still raids the bin if he gets chance, he can open doors and also jumps very high. We had to Paddy-proof the house to make sure he was safe!

My dog has helped me through some really tough times over the years. He’s so loving once you earn his trust, and he adores children. Paddy is best friends with our cats and likes to help other timid animals to come out of their shell. He also works to raise awareness about Lurchers and show what fabulous pets they can be with the right care and attention.

Throughout all of Ellie’s suffering Amber was right there beside her, providing her with the emotional support she needed to keep fighting.

My Cockapoo Amber has helped me to stay positive through the toughest times of my life. She came into our family when I was 16 and first started experiencing symptoms of my illness. She was only eight weeks old and quickly became my best friend, as I had to leave school and my life as I knew it began to fall apart.

It was almost two years later I was diagnosed with a life-limiting illness that left me housebound, in constant pain and extremely weak. At my lowest, Amber was the only thing that kept me going and the only thing that would make me smile. Whenever I got upset she would lick my tears away and stay by my side and when I was really unwell, she would scratch and cry at my door or do whatever she could to be with me. She was a constant source of comfort and made me feel so safe and less lonely.

She would lick away my tears

When nurses would come to visit me at home, they would always comment that Amber was always so close to me but she also instinctively knew when she needed to give me and the nurses space (although she was never too far away). They would often tell me that they’d always say they we’re going to see ‘Ellie and Amber’ because she never left my side. I’d spend months in hospital, and she would come and visit me. Having a cuddle and seeing her happy face was a massive boost. My heart would feel lighter whenever she would visit.

Without Amber I wouldn’t be here today. Last year I had surgery that thankfully gave me a second chance at life. I only got to that point because I wanted so desperately to take her for long walks or play with her in the garden again, she’s mad about tennis balls and loves to play fetch. The idea of giving her a happy life and repaying her for all the years of happiness she gave me when I needed it most kept me going. She still supports me when I have bad days but now I take advantage of every opportunity I can to be with her and do something fun.

I honestly don’t think words can really describe just how much I love her and what she means to me, but when I was a little girl I would dream about having a dog like her and I feel so lucky to have her in my life.

Orla loves to spoil her two pups Paloma and Kyuss, who enjoy going on long walks with her – even though they have tiny legs!

Our little troublemakers are a pair of long-haired mini dachshunds, who turned our world upside down when they joined us as pups back in 2017.

There are so many funny things that they do, and even on a down day they make us smile. Paloma’s cutest habit is that every night after dinner, she waits for her dad to lie on the floor so she can rest on him for neck kisses. The truth is that everything she does makes us smile.

They have such short legs!

In 2018, she was diagnosed with lymphoma, and we chose to treat her with chemo as she is so young and has so much fight in her. We needed to give it a shot. Almost 18 months on and she is still beating cancer. Everything she does is special to us – as you can imagine she is so spoiled, even more than she was before she got ill!

Kyuss is a food obsessed mummy’s boy. We know it’s very naughty but his endless tricks to get more treats makes us laugh. We love to take them both out on long walks, which I’m not sure we’d do without them. The longest walk we have done is 10 miles – not bad considering they have such short legs! They love our country walks and always stay close by, not down to good training but because they’re total wimps!

Kyuss and Paloma bring so much joy into our home – or, their home rather, because let’s face it, we’re just here to provide treats and kisses!

London the dog was the most meaningful gift Verity could have ever received, and she is forever grateful for him

My mum bought London for me in the summer of 2017. I went all the way to Germany to collect him. She was so happy with our new puppy – he was sweet and gentle with all our other dogs. Mum knew that I would enjoy showing him off at dogs shows, talking him for long walks and grooming him.

She also knew that she wouldn’t be with me for much longer. By November, she had passed and I was devastated. But having London gave me the strength to carry on. Just as she’d hoped, I went out for walks and took him to dog shows – he gave me a reason to keep going, day in, day out.

Gave me the strength to carry on

London was patient with my tears, staying by my side throughout everything. Now, slowly and gently, he guides me through life. From the moment I get up in the morning to the moment I arrive home from work, he’s always there for me. Recently, he became a father to a wonderful puppy called Aster, who has been like a shining light of hope for the whole family this year.

My dog London truly is the gift that keeps on giving. He enhances my existence every day, and I couldn’t be without him.

Laura’s dog Milo is so kind and gentle, you can’t help but adore him

I adopted Milo from an elderly lady who could no longer care for him, but prior to that I used to be his walker. He’s now a happy part of our family, alongside our other two dogs and our two cats, who he adores playing with.

He’s now a happy part of our family

Milo has a calm and caring nature and will always jump onto your lap for snuggles. In fact, he’s so gentle he’s regularly invited to the local primary school to be a reading buddy for the children. He gets to spend some quiet time with them and their books and helps them to stay relaxed.

Our dog has brought so much love and affection into our lives. We just couldn’t be without him!

Bramble was mistreated as a pup, but Vivienne’s family have given her as much love and care as possible since rescuing her

When we fostered Bramble 11 years ago, she was very frightened and shut down from her treatment at a puppy farm. She wouldn’t walk past me if I had boots on and would drop her head if you tried to pet her.

She’s so precious to us

I couldn’t get her to sit with me for months, so I arranged some cuddle time for a few days, and she eventually found her way back for more. And getting a kiss from her is rare, but she enjoys receiving them.

She’s so precious to us. It’s clear that Bramble has learned a lot from the way she’s now being treated, but we’ve learnt so much more from the love she gives back.