Simba’s always had a sense of humour, and he’s even trying to make sure his mischief rubs off on Stu’s new dog Willow!

Words do not describe Simba, he is simply a gift from heaven. From puppy days, he has known his own mind and has been into mischief at any opportunity (a modern day Marley). Our world turned upside down when he stole kebabs off the kitchen table, ate them whole and proceeded to go about his normal business. Two months passed and many vet checks, it was established the skewers were still inside. Major surgery and multiple operations over a two week period, he was saved and back where he belongs. He’s 12 years old now and still looking after the family, the best friend anyone could wish for.

From puppy days, he has known his own mind and has been into mischief at any opportunity

Along came Willow, his new love, so in awe of Simba. He tries his best to teach her bad habits but she’s so calm and such a good little girl. She’s three years old now and desperately seeking the pack leader role. He’s older, wiser, slower and less enthusiastic these days but will never give up his seat on the throne and protector of this family!

Yvonne decided to adopt Bernie after losing her dog, and he’s been making her smile ever since.

Bernie is my fur baby bundle of joy. I lost my dog Lucky who I had for ten years very suddenly, and I swore never to get another dog as the pain losing them is horrendous. But after four months of coming home to an empty house, I decided to adopt.

That’s when I got Bernie and I’m so glad I did. He makes me laugh and cry. We have cuddles and he sleeps by my side, he snores and belches very loudly after every meal or treat! He loves his tennis ball – I sometimes have to throw it in the house for him.

Every dog deserves to be loved

My friend calls him Lamb Chops because he looks like one! He jumps very high when he wants your attention or to go for walk. I just love him to bits as he's helped me through some really bad times. In summer or when weather’s fine, there’s a group of us with dogs and he loves playing with all his friends. It makes you smile knowing they are happy. Every dog deserves to be loved.

Life isn’t easy for Otto or owner Sarah, but together they take on the world every single day

We got Otto when I was waiting for an operation on my eye. He gave me a reason to get up every morning. He was 10 weeks old and needed an urgent new home due to flooding and so we went and got him.

He is the best friend I could ask for

He is the best friend I could ask for. He hasn’t had the best start in life – bad breeding meant he was underweight, and we found out a few months ago that he has severe hip dysplasia and needed both his hips replacing. He had his first operation in August at 11 months old and next week will be going for his other hip replacement surgery.

Despite all of that he has been as good as gold and kept me going. I’m at high risk of Covid so have had to stay home since March and again he made it all bearable. He’s just lovely and after saving for his operations I would love to give him a treat.

For owner Joanne and family, the addition of Dotty to their lives has been just what they needed

We got Dotty back in January as a rescue dog. Little did we know what an important little dog she would be.

In the morning you wake up to Dotty on your head!

I started to suffer from anxiety and was signed off work for four weeks and Dotty gave me the strength to go out and walk her. Then during lockdown she has been our rock. Our son is autistic and she helps him a lot.

Dotty is a sausage dog crossed with a Jack Russell so is full of energy, jumps runs and keeps us on our feet. Dotty does not like to sleep on her own so spends the night at the bottom of our bed but in the morning you wake up to Dotty on your head! Her favourite things to do are play with her toys and snuggle up to you.

Since she came into their lives eight years ago, Piper has caused more than her fair share of mayhem in Deborah’s household

When I was volunteering to walk rescue dogs, I came across this lovely little white Boxer. I fell in love with her, brought her home and called her Piper. She came into our lives as my oldest girl was about to join the army, so she’s been a very welcome and crazy distraction in the eight years we’ve had her.

In that time, she has destroyed three air fryers by knocking them down and stealing the food. She has stolen beetroots, courgettes, carrots. She has eaten five people’s worth of spag bol, escaped from a secure field, and refused for 24 hours to come downstairs!

She’s definitely kept us on our toes, but we love her so much

Her ultimate crime was on Christmas Day 2013. My daughter was home on leave from the army, and we were just sitting down for breakfast when Piper began to choke. She had swallowed a large knotted raw hide bone whole and lengthways, and she was foaming at the mouth and collapsing.

We rang the local vet who put her under and tried to remove the bone but no joy. We had to take her to Newmarket, with specialists holding her head in position to help her breathe. It was a two-hour journey, and when we arrived she was taken straight in for surgery. My daughter and I were still in our pyjamas, looking for somewhere to wait. We ended up in a pub cooking lunch for the homeless, where they fed and watered us.

Five hours later, the bone was removed, and Piper stayed there for the night. When we drove back on Boxing Day, she bounced out of the vets. We were told to keep her quiet for 48 hours. Within 10 minutes of arriving back home in Great Yarmouth, she was bouncing on the kids’ trampoline!

This dog has definitely kept us on our toes, but we love her so much. Have a Boxer they said, it will be fun they said...

As a vicar, Jane spent much of the pandemic alone with her responsibilities weighing heavily on her shoulders, but Lily always helped lighten the load

Lily was adopted from Labrador Rescue North West in October 2009 at approximately two years old. The first few months were really challenging as she had chronic separation anxiety. After I helped her settle, she began to mend my broken heart following the death of my previous 14-year-old Labrador six weeks earlier.

I am a vicar and live on my own. Lily is always ready to cuddle and listen when I have faced a challenging pastoral encounter. She’s a really good timekeeper and when I’m busy with work, she will come and put her head on my knee when it’s time for walkies, as if to say ‘Take me out, I'm way more interesting than your computer’.

Lily’s also good when I have work meetings as she welcomes people, makes them feel at ease and offers cuddles when they’re upset. Pastoral walks can sometimes make it easier for people to talk about difficult things and Lily always comes along on those.

During the pandemic, Lily was what kept me going

During the pandemic, I struggled with anxiety. I felt the weight of my responsibility for those in my care, and I had no physical human contact for months as I live alone. Lily was what kept me going. She was my reason to go out daily, and those walks in nature when we couldn't go anywhere else were so important for my mental health.

Lily is a typical Labrador and will eat anything, which is not necessarily a good thing as she has a wheat allergy. She seemingly goes deaf on a walk if she's found something disgusting that she is enjoying eating or rolling in! She also loves water, the muddier the better.

Lily is now 12 and beginning to struggle with arthritis, but she will still play like a baby when she meets up with another of her canine friends. Just this week she had me laughing as she frolicked through a field of buttercups trying to instigate play with a three-year-old spaniel, who was too busy following her nose to join in.