After Sam sadly lost his previous owner, Nicola made the decision to take him in and give him the best life possible

I met Sam the Sheltie when I was in care. His owner, a lady called Olive, had a terminal brain tumour. Sam was 12 then and Olive decided that she would give Sam to Dogs Trust for rehoming. When I heard this story, it broke my heart.

I promised I would give him the best life

Let me tell you a bit about the relationship between Olive and Sam. Olive never had children and always had dogs as her babies. Sam wouldn’t leave Olive’s side when she was ill. He knew something was wrong and he would always be at her feet. When Olive was unable to stand anymore and was confined to a bed, he would lay at the bottom of the bed with one paw touching her.

I just couldn’t bear Sam losing his mum, his everything, and then being locked in a cage, confused and scared. So, I made the decision to take Sam in and promised I would give him the best life. Here we are five years later, still loving a walk, and the other dogs always show us so much love.

Albert the St Bernard puppy is such a huge part of Beth’s life that he’s even going to play a role in her wedding.

I lost my dog a few years ago and decided that I was going to wait until my circumstances had changed to get another. I then met my amazing partner and we decided to look for a puppy.

After a lot of discussion, we decided on a St Bernard. We found a wonderful lady in England who had just had a litter and we contacted her and that was it, Albert was booked. He brings us all more joy and happiness then we could imagine and we could not love him more.

Albert makes us laugh every day and brings us together as a family. He will also walk down the aisle with me at our wedding next year. We just can’t wait!

We could not love him more

Katie rescued Selma from Romania, and it’s changed both of their lives for the better

I rescued selma from Romania when she was seven months but everyone in my life will agree that it’s her that did the saving. I was in a really bad place in my life mentally and physically and this little angel on four legs got me up and out every day.

She gives me cuddles and makes me laugh constantly. She was the best decision I could have made for my mental health and continues to be an absolute ray of sunshine in my life. She wakes me up in the morning by literally jumping on me repeatedly and makes the strangest little pigeon noise whenever she wants a walk or food or even just attention.

She wakes me up in the morning by literally jumping on me repeatedly

She is a rascal and cheeky but the little cuddly sheep gets away with it. You know when she’s upset as her curly tail unfurls down to the floor and her very cute ears (one up, one down!) go flat. She’s got zero idea of personal space and loves to intently smell everyone’s mouths to know what they’ve been up to. She’s nothing but a positive influence in my life. The greatest gift that I can’t believe is mine.

With Graham by her side, Emma has the confidence to go out and experience new things, and now the pair are inseparable.

Since Graham has come into my life, he’s inspired me to get out and explore new places, as well as meet new people. I have never been a confident or particularly sociable person but having Graham by my side helps me to feel better and there isn’t anywhere I would go without him!

He’s come with me on a seven-mile-hike around the Peak District, travelled up to my hometown of Sheffield and even comes with me into cafes. Having him has pushed my partner and I to hire a camper van and travel around the Scottish Highlands. It’s always been a dream of mine, and now it’s even more special because he can come along with us!

Helps me to feel better

Graham is a very loving dog and is everyone’s best friend, even if he’s just met them. He is always up for a cuddle and loves giving people a ‘hug’ (where he puts his paw over your arm). I think meeting new people is one of his favourite things, along with food! He loves all food and will shamelessly do tricks for you in an attempt to get some – I haven’t found anything he won’t eat yet, even lettuce!

He’s also a pro at posing for the camera. Because of him photography is now a new hobby of mine, and of course he’s my favourite thing to take photos of. He is such a special dog and I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without him.

When their belongings unexpectedly disappear, Lucy and her family have come to realise that Scrabble is usually the culprit

We got Scrabble at the start of June this year, and since then, she has become this whirlwind of affection, fun and mischief in our lives. She loves stealing the laundry as you hang it on the line. We only know something has gone because suddenly she streaks past you and disappears – we call it being Scrabbled!

One time, we tried to put up guttering in our new shed, and at the key moment we found the connectors had been Scrabbled. Other times, we might go to put on walking boots, and one of them has been Scrabbled. Where do they go? Quite often in the wild part of our garden at the back, or if we are lucky, just in the dog bed!

She has become this whirlwind of affection, fun and mischief in our lives

Scrabble won’t let you not love her. She literally bounds into your arms and licks your nose if you are not cuddling her or playing. And then, just as suddenly, she is curled up asleep.

Tonight, I walked her and my other dog, Corry, down the lane from my house at dusk. Her delight and curiosity towards the deer, owls and squirrels was so heart-warming. She always loves sniffing and sometimes eating flowers, and she’ll come up for a quick stroke if she’s unsure where we’re going. I could never be alone or lonely with that little girl!

Life hasn’t been easy for Karen, but Mia has been the best possible companion to get her through even the toughest days

Some people would say Mia is 'just a dog', but she came into my life at a time when I really needed lifting up. My life changed drastically when I became seriously ill when she was five months old, and I am still recuperating six years later.

Mia brings me so much happiness and has been my only company for years. Her cuddles, wagging tail and happy licks have helped me through the hardest times. She has given me purpose – a reason to get out of bed and carry on.

Her unconditional love makes every day brighter

A simple glance at her, even when she's sleeping, causes her to wag her tail and make me smile. She loves and accepts the 'real' me, even though her life has not been what I planned for her, but what I can manage to do with her.

Her biggest love is water and muddy puddles, the smellier the better. Even the muddy spaniel days are fun! I am so proud of her. She's well behaved and a joy to be around. To me, she's not 'just a dog', she's family – the one mainstay in my life.

Mia’s the epitome of joyfulness, though crazy at times, and she’s my furever friend! Her unconditional love makes every day brighter. Here's to celebrating the bond that makes life so special.