Jacqui’s life was turned upside down when her husband was diagnosed with COVID-19. But thankfully Pepsi has been there every step of the way.

Pepsi is a 9-month-old female border collie. We knew that she was a great dog, but she really proved that when Walt, my ambulance technician partner, got COVID-19. I'm a community nurse so I looked after him at home for four days. Pepsi sat on the decking below his bedroom window listening to him cough. He was so ill that he was unable to move. She couldn't understand what was happening.

After four days, he really deteriorated and was admitted to a hospital 80 miles away. I was lost. I didn't know if I'd ever see him again alive. I didn't want to get up – the days were too long and scary. However, I knew Pepsi needed me so we sat in the garden and played ball. If I cried after seeing Walt on a videocall she would jump up and cuddle me.

Life is on the up again

Walt began to give up the fight in the hospital. He hated being away from us and he was so ill with the constant cough and fatigue. We sent videos of the dog and encouraged him to stay strong so he could come home to his ‘therapet’ (we always called her that). When he was finally discharged, she rarely left his side and I know he needed her every bit as much as he needed me to nurse him.

Now, Pepsi is his reason to fight the fatigue and get out. She has recently learned to swim, so we go places where Walt can just sit and watch her play.

I know every dog is their owner’s best friend but Pepsi is an ace dog who has really earned her ‘therapet’ nickname. We love her. She loves us. Life is on the up again.

Brave, loyal and the best teammate, Leri gives Katy a lot to be proud of

Lerihas recently retired from his role as a Protection Dog for the British Army. I first met him when he was two years old, after he had been postedto my unit fresh out of training. He was my first Military Working Dog and together, we guided each other through.

We guided each other through

We absolutely smashed our last licensing, and were awarded an advancedpass, something that has not been achieved in more than ten years at my unit. I have learnt so much from Leri and I’m honoured to have been able to take him home at the end of his service. I owe him all that life can give and I love him so much.He’s my big, slobbery, brave boy!

Carole adores her cheeky chappy Norman, even if he does have a habit of going walkabout.

As a pup, Norman was a bit of an escapologist. He managed to escape out of the house and run off round the corner. He got into a garden and went in through an open back door. He was discovered by the homeowner when he heard a noise, turned around and found Norman sitting watching tv with him and his family!

Norman was a bit of an escapologist

Another time, he managed to squeeze under our garden fence and make his way into our neighbour’s house… where he was eventually found in her upstairs bedroom.

When things were tough for Hayley, Louie helped her to look on the bright side again

I had a stroke at the age 32, and it knocked me sideways. I struggled to live my life how I had before, and as a result was feeling quite low. My partner knew exactly how to get me moving, and that was by bringing Louie into our lives. We fell in love with him instantly, and he helped me to get more active and find a focus again.

We fell in love with him instantly

Louie is always smiling, loves playing with his toys and is the best cuddle-giver. He is so mischievous, and we often find socks and underwear that he’s stolen and hidden in the garden. He also likes to help when we’re doing projects around the house, though often he’s more of a hindrance – like when he thought he could paint the wall by dipping his head into the paint tin!

Chester has helped Sarah-Louise and her husband to stay positive in challenging times

Chester is a two-year-old Pomsky. My husband is a doctor and I’m a nurse,and we decided to get Chester when I was having a particularly hard time at work.We had recently moved to Wales and taking Chester out for walks encouraged me to make new friends with other dog owners.

He melts our stress away

I really believe Chester’s constant happiness and endless love saved me from a dark place. After a long day at work, he’ll always greet us with so much excitement. Both my husband and I feel as though he melts our stress away. Our mental wellbeing has improved greatly since having Chester, and so has our fitness, as he loves to be outside and run around.

One of Chester’s favourite hobbies is helping out in the garden. I’ve started creating new boarders and as soon as I get my spade out, he gets his paws ready and digs wherever you’re digging. He’s truly wonderful.

For NHS mental health worker Kathleen, her new little bundle of joy is the perfect tonic

I have wanted a puppy since I moved out of my family home at 18 years old. Me and my partner have only just bought our first house. We couldn’t wait, so have got a puppy and he has just made our house a home.

He is the best decision we have ever made!

Since we have had him he has settled straight in. He brightens up our day as he is very talkative and always talks back when he is told off and it’s adorable. The main thing that we love about him is that he refuses to walk when me and my partner are apart. He only likes to go for a walk when we are together and he walks between us. He just brings us together and is hilarious as he is very curious, but is a bit chicken.

He just helps make us laugh all the time and comfort us during lockdown, especially me as I work in mental health for the NHS. People say it was a mistake to get a dog so soon after moving and working on the house as it’s a lot of responsibility and pressure, but he is the best decision we have ever made!