Lynda was devastated when Sam suddenly went blind last year but, to her amazement, he hasn’t let that slow him down at all

Sam has shown me that even in dark times, there can still be light. Up until September last year, he was a fun-loving, adventurous young Collie who lived life to the full. Then he went blind, almost overnight. Long story short, despite tests and an excellent specialist, the reason for this remains unknown.

My husband and I were devastated and our other Collie, Caley, soon realised something was wrong as her playmate could no longer see her to play. However, despite the shock and heartache, I immediately started looking into how a blind dog could still live a full and happy life.

Sam has shown me that even in dark times, there can still be light

Sam and I have worked together, learning new commands such as ‘step up’, ‘step down’, ‘careful’ etc. Caley and I wear bells when we are out so he can hear where we are. As a result, he is still able to walk off lead in most places. We live in the Scottish Highlands and he was used to a lot of freedom before he went blind, so it's fantastic that this hasn't been taken away from him along with his sight.

He still enjoys swimming and belts around the garden as if he were sighted. He has inspired me every single day. My sadness for him is still there, but he’s taught me that, despite your setbacks, you can still get on with life and live it to the full. He is absolutely amazing, and I hope he goes on to have many years of adventures up here in Scotland.

After a few turbulent years, senior rescue dog Danny finally found his forever home with Annabel and her family

Danny is a German Shorthaired Pointer from Cyprus, where he was found in a kill shelter. He was looked after in a rescue shelter then flown to the UK and sent to a foster home. A few months later, he was adopted.

He’s very fit and active for his age

But after nine months, his owners’ circumstances changed, and they had to make the hard decision to find him another home. This is where we came in. We adopted Danny the day before lockdown, and he joined our other two GSPs.

He’s a very vocal boy, and certainly lets us know when he wants something, whether it’s his meals or his tennis ball, his most favourite thing ever! He’s very fit and active for his age, and he loves his walks with his fur brother and sister – another Cyprus rescue who we adopted last May.

Wolfie has brightened up Tatiana’s life with his playfulness and friendliness, and he has even helped her to make the office a happier place!

We rescued Wolfie six months ago, and since then he has made our life so much better and happier. Wolfie is perfectly trained, super intelligent and has managed to learn six new tricks even though he is an old dog!

He is sensational at the park and we often get stopped because people want to say hello and take pictures of him. He even comes with me to work and is our office pet.

Everyone that meets him loves him

He also has the cheekiest but funniest personality. You would never guess that he’s 10 years old, and everyone that meets him loves him. He adores playing with all dogs in the park and sometimes forgets how big he is – it’s so funny seeing him play with a tiny puppy!

He is affectionate and loves children, and has made our little family so much happier.

Sarah and Paddy have been through a lot together over the years, from fundraising events to the loss of their furry friend, Oscar

Paddy was brought into a local rescue centre, where I was volunteering as a dog walker. He had been found on a busy road near Newark and collected by the dog warden, and he was very thin and dirty. He was so frightened, he actually weed as the warden removed him from the van, and we couldn’t see his tail as it was so tightly tucked between his legs.

It took Paddy a while to warm to us, but after a lot of perseverance – and the offer of a hamburger – he decided we were not so bad. I was asked if we would consider fostering as the rescue centre was full, and Paddy came home with me that afternoon.

He’s been there for me, my children and now my grandchildren

I failed as a foster parent and adopted Paddy not long after. When he settled in, he was such a gentle soul, and he proved to be extremely loving and very happy in everyday life. That tail was soon visible and is now always wagging.

Over the years, Paddy has attended fundraiser events to raise money for other dogs in rescue centres and to promote awareness of how Lurchers can make lovely pets. There are so many Lurchers in need of a forever home.

Paddy loves food and will do pretty much anything if you bribe him with something tasty! He’s been there for me, my children and now my grandchildren – he absolutely adores kids and is very gentle around them.

He’s also helped our other rescued Lurcher, Bella, settle in and he’s very tolerant of our resident cats. We sadly lost Oscar, our Labrador cross, to bone cancer last year and Paddy was his companion for 12 years, so we helped each other move forward. Now aged 15, Paddy often likes to sleep in, but he still enjoys his walks – just at a steadier pace.

Pablo gave his owner, Traci, a reason to smile when she was feeling low

Pablo originally lived in Gran Canaria. He came over to England in November 2019 and went to live with a foster mum in Sheffield through a charity called Pet Pals GC. Around this time, our beloved border collie, Barney, had been diagnosed with aggressive lymphoma and we were told he wouldn’t make it to Christmas. We sadly lost Barney in December and our hearts were truly shattered.

I was sad, but I also I knew I had the room in my heart to look after another dog. We’ve always had big dogs, but I had recently been diagnosed with arthritis in my spine and knees, so I felt a smaller breed would better fit the bill. I came across Pablo while browsing animal charities online and arranged to go and visit him in Sheffield the following week.

As soon as I met him, I could feel my heart melting

As soon as I met him, I could feel my heart mending a little bit, as he sat straight on my lap and covered me in kisses. A couple of weeks after taking Pablo home, we went into lockdown. We’d go out for walks every day around the golf course, where Pablo loves playing in the sand bunkers.

He makes us laugh and smile every single day. I still miss my Barney boy, but my heart is now full of love again thanks to our little Spanish street dog.

Whether she’s comforting them or making them laugh, Luna has been a lifeline for Denise and her husband

We adopted Luna from a rescue centre soon after lockdown. She’s been my husband’s saviour as he suffered heart failure after contracting Covid and will never be fully well again, either physically or mentally. Luna seems to know when to give extra love and she sits with him to comfort him. She keeps me sane too, as I can get out for walks with her and chat to other dog owners.

She is such a sweetie and loves nothing better than rolling on her back wherever she fancies. This can be on the carpet indoors, outside in the sunshine, on the grass, on the beach or most recently in the snow. Sometimes she has a naughty day and will roll in mud, or worse!

She’s also really lazy and will easily sleep for 10-12 hours at night, which we don’t mind at all. Her latest thing is demanding a head massage by thrusting her head into my lap and then she closes her eyes in bliss!

Every day she amazes, astounds and brings us such joy, which is a bonus as she came with a list of behavioural issues that have all disappeared. She travels well and we’ve taken her 500 miles to Scotland on holiday where she loves the forests, beaches and the self-catering cottage we rent. We couldn’t hope for a better companion.

We couldn’t hope for a better companion