Simona and her dog River love going on adventures together – so much so, Simona’s even written a book inspired by one of their trips!

River is my little adventure buddy and inspiration.

My goal is to enrich her life and we often embark on UK adventures together, exploring our surroundings and taking part in activities! She’s motivated me to be better and keeps me active on our daily walks and hikes.

She truly is my muse

I’ve even published a book inspired by one of our trips – written as though it’s from her point of view. This opened up my creativity and allowed me to face a challenge I thought would be impossible due to my dyslexia.

She’s also my personal photography model and we often go out to scenic places and have photoshoots. She truly is my muse. Without River, I believe my life would be quite boring and lack adventure. She’s opened up so many opportunities for me, which I will be forever grateful for.

Before she was rescued, Miri’s weight was severely affecting her health, but that all changed with a little TLC from Jean

Rescue dog Miri is a Miniature Dachshund, who belied that title when she came to me two years ago through Dachshund Rescue UK. Weighing in at a whopping 12.5kg, she was anything but miniature in stature. She could barely walk, her chest and belly were dragging on the ground, she couldn't lift her head up high, and her breathing was under strain.

She’s living proof that change can happen, with the right love and care

Skip forward two years and Miri is a svelte 5.1kg. As her size has diminished, her confidence has just grown and grown. She adores cuddles and attention, which she laps up from the residents when I visit my mum in her care home, bringing a huge smile to the faces of those who indulge her.

At the hockey club, she has become the club mascot, and a real inspiration for those who have followed her journey. She’s living proof that change can happen, with the right love and care

Sprocket quickly became a treasured member of Carla’s family

Sprocket is our first dog. It took us a while to decide whether getting a dog was for us, but it was without a doubt the best decision we have ever made as a family. Sprocket is such a lovely boy – he's a working Cocker Spaniel so is full of energy and enthusiasm for life. He has a wonderful, sweet temperament and wouldn't hurt a fly. He loves his walks and taking him out in the countryside is an absolute joy.

He joins in with everything we do

As we’ve never had a dog before, we didn't realise just how much they become a part of your family. Sprocket plays a huge role in all our lives, and we couldn't bear to be without him. He joins in with everything we do,from kayaking to camping. He is very funny and has mad moments where he zooms around the house. He also likes to do his ‘happy howl’, which wethink is him telling us how much he’s enjoying life.

Mika came into Diane’s life with various behavioural issues due to her difficult past, but now she’s finally living the life she deserves

Mika is a rescue dog. After we lost our last dog, I felt I needed someone else to cuddle. My husband said we were too old for a puppy, so we went to the RSPCA.

The kennels opened and out came a few dogs all barking ‘TAKE ME, TAKE ME’, except for one who was looking and sniffing, without barking. ‘That’s the one’, I said.

We were told she was used to kill badgers as a job. She wasn’t a pet, so she’d had no interaction with people, no affection, and she’d been trained not to bark as that could have alerted the badgers. She has a tattoo in her ear related to the organisation she belonged to. She also has a split tongue and a few teeth missing.

She’s become very loving and sleeps by my side

Mika had various problems that we’ve overcome. For instance, she had no fear of other dogs, however huge they were, and used to take balls from their mouths. She wasn’t affectionate, and she was very difficult to feed. In fact, she would sometimes go a day or more without food, so we had to visit the vet every week to get her weight taken.

Now, she’s become very loving and sleeps by my side. She walks so close to me, I could almost fall over her. We changed her diet, so she’s put on weight, but she still doesn’t get on with other dogs if she’s on a lead. We’ve have had her for seven years now – it’s been a bit scary at times, but well worth it.

As an older dog, Kyra has spent a great many years looking out for Marigold and her family

Kyra is an amazing Bernese Mountain dog who’s reached the amazing age of 12 years and six months. She’s a very fit, healthy and loving girl, and she’s very protective of me and my grandchildren.

When one of the grandchildren fell at the age of three, Kyra ran over to protect her and pick her up. Or whenever the grandchildren had a sleepover, she would go to their bedroom, listen to their bedtime story, and then go to sleep between their beds.

She’s very protective of me and my grandchildren

Once after I had a hip operation, I decided to go for a little walk with her, and a man came creeping out of the woods. She stood between me and him to protect me.

When I leave my jacket around, she’ll empty the pockets of dog treats. And every morning she comes over to my bed to give me a good morning kiss and bring me my clothes.

Emma’s two dogs, Oakley and Rowan, help her to look after her husband and sons

My Husband lost his memory in an accident in 2011. You only realise how important memories are when someone you love doesn’t have them anymore, so now we put a lot of effort into creating lasting memories for our sons. As part of that mission, we got our dog Oakley in 2016. He is themost loyal and intelligent boy, and he even alerts me when my husband ishaving seizures, though he isn’t trained to do so. I know that if Nick is unwell while out walking, Oakley will look after him for me until I find them.

They both have very different personalities

When we found out his sister was having puppies, we jumped at the chance to offer one of them a home. Rowan joined us last year, and she’s a bundle of fun and mischief. Although technically his uncle, Oakley has become a fantastic big brother to her. They both have very different personalities, but one thing they share is how loving they are to us and each other. I don’t know how we ever managed without them.