She may be getting on, but affectionate Shirley is a huge source of comfort for Jacqueline

My daughter, Felicity, bought Shirley as a puppy (I loaned her the money to buy her). She always wanted a pug and finally got one when she was 25 years old. Felicity absolutely loved her little dog, who even featured on top of her wedding cake in sugar form! Shirley became a doting carer for Felicity’s children, too.

Sadly, Felicity passed away aged 34, leaving her two boys (aged two and four), as well as Shirley the dog.

Shirley is such a wonderful little dog who is just full of love

Felicity’s husband found it difficult to care for Shirley, so we adopted her. She spent a lot of time with us anyway, so it wasn’t too much of a trial coming to live with us, particularly as she was aging. As a 15-year-old dog, I think she liked being with two retired oldies.

She snuggles up to us on the sofa every night and has been such a comfort to us. Shirley is such a wonderful little dog who is just full of love.

Whether he’s making them laugh or helping them recover from surgery, Riley is always there for Abbigail and her family

My dog Riley is the love of my life. From the moment we met him, he was so quirky. He tried to run off down the farm rather than say hello to his new owners, but he still fell asleep in our laps on the way home.

He is such a lovable dog, always asking for attention or cuddles and he plays just like a toddler! He’s helped our family through so much. For instance, when he was a puppy, I had broken my arm and he helped it heal quicker because I was so eager to play with him that I started regaining the use of the muscles I’d lost. So much so that I didn’t even need physio after healing because Riley had already helped me gain my muscle back.

He’s helped our family through so much

My mom has also had major surgery twice and both times he was there for her, cuddling her and being gentle when she comes home, and watching her every move when she is ill – this includes warning everyone about the postman!

He sounds like a very large dog from his bark but anyone who has met Riley would know he’s very lovable. All he wants to do is say hello and give cuddles to anyone. He is so special and a big part of our family. He gets gifts at Christmas and on his birthday and signs cards for the rest of the family for their birthdays. He is always so energetic and happy, which just makes you smile. Riley is my positive outlook on the world, and I don’t know where I would be without him.

With non-stop kisses, it’s no surprise that Claire has given Mickey the nickname ‘Licky Mickey’!

Mickey is my sons’ best friend. As teenage boys go, that dog certainly gets his fair share of cuddles and kisses off them!

If any of us feel down, sick or just want to have a cuddle, then Mickey is there. Mickey is the best companion to all of us and he is not happy unless he is sat with – or on top of – someone.

He just loves to share his love!

He has a soft caring nature and always wants a kiss. I'll admit his nickname is ‘Lickey Mickey’ because we get non-stop kisses from him. He just loves to share his love!

Let's just say, Mickey also likes the finest thing in life as you can see in his picture!

Mark’s dog Dobby has many quirky habits that bring his family endless joy

Dobby is a Whippet and Italian greyhound cross who always makes us laugh. He enjoys stealing people’s socks, running very fast around Chesterracecourse and pinching our toast, but what he loves most is climbing intothe basket of warm washing after it has been tumble dried.

He enjoys stealing people’s socks

He has made a real difference to our family life during the pandemic. My daughter has always wanted a dog and he has provided her so much comfort over the last six months, helping her to get out and exercise and stay positive. He can be a little over enthusiastic at times, but that’s just part of his charm.

For Hollie, Cooper is a happy reminder of the two years she spent travelling around Canada

Cooper is everything to us. He came into our lives when we were travelling in Canada and got stuck in a small prairie town during Covid. The lady who ran the local dump (it was so remote there was no bin service!) used to have at least 15 dogs, three cats and a horse. They would run around her farm property and none of them were neutered. So, naturally, when she offered us this little golden mutt (a Chihuahua Jack Russell type), we just said we’d make it work.

A few months later, our immigration fell through, and we had to leave the country. We were devastated. It was something we’d worked towards for so long and leaving was so hard. When we came back, Cooper was immediately our source of comfort and familiarity during a time of culture shock and grieving.

He came from such a specific part of our journey and now he is always with us to symbolise that. He helps us through sad times and knows exactly what to do to cheer us up. He’s the happiest dog of all time (people say it regularly!), so having him around is a blessing.

He has quite a strong set of adorable quirks too. He was born with a natural mohawk that never went away, which is always a great conversation starter with other dog owners. He also has the longest and loudest yawns known to man. For a tiny pup, he’s so full of life!

He’s the happiest dog of all time

Erin came into Lucy’s life while she was still at university and, despite everyone telling her it wasn’t the right time, she’s never looked back

I was still at uni when I got Erin. Every single person I knew told me NOT to get a dog so young, especially a border collie as they’re known for their rather relentless nature. But, after listening to endless puppy podcasts and reading countless books, I travelled all the way to Wales to meet this three-month-old puppy.

Still, no amount of research could have prepared me for what was to come. Within the first five seconds of meeting me, Erin had peed all over my carefully selected outfit and licked my face raw.

She’s brought an energy to my life that I’ve never felt before

As soppy as it sounds, I knew she was the one then and there. I cannot express how blessed I feel to now be the proud owner of a beautiful girl who is ball-obsessed, barks at anything that moves and will lick every inch of your face when given the opportunity.

She’s got me through two lockdowns and the rest of my degree, but most of all she’s brought an energy to my life that I’ve never felt before. She is completely crazy, but I wouldn’t change her for the world.