Teddy provides Victoria-Ellen with support as well as a laugh.

Teddy has a mischievous streak. Last Christmas, my mum made a super trifle. Unfortunately, no one noticed Teddy climb on the chair to reach the table, where he promptly started to eat it! My mum straightened up where he had nibbled and none of us noticed what he had done.

My favourite thing about Teddy is the way he gives me so much love

I had his DNA done, and he is a real mix – he’s part Dachshund, part Yorkshire Terrier and part Shih tzu!

My favourite thing about Teddy is the way he gives me so much love and seems to know how I am feeling. I have a learning disability and Teddy is a fantastic support to me.

Once a month he has a hydro session to help his front legs and ease his arthritis. He really enjoys this swimming and it is nice for him and me to do something together just the two of us.

Lou and Pluto share an incredible connection that can never be broken

My best friend comes from a family who breeds German shepherds. In the summer of 2011, their dog Star gave birth to a litter of eight puppies, and I was helping to look after them all. I’d spend every day tending to the puppies, only ever stopping to sleep, which was quite often on the sofa in the puppy den.

Helping Star through her labour was a new experience for me. I found it as terrifying as it was inspiring, and it was so incredible to see each puppy take their first breath. After they had all grown and found a permanent home, I was given the last remaining one from the litter. He was called Pluto.

We share a very special bond

Nine years later and I still have my beautiful boy. We share a very special bond, since I’ve known him from the minute he was born. I live alone and he really is a huge part of my life. He’s the reason I smile every morning and laugh every day, the last face I see before I go to sleep at night, a shoulder to cry on when I’m upset and my brave protector when we’re out and about.

I’ve faced some really dark and difficult moments in the last nine years, and I’m not sure I could have managed them without Pluto by my side.

Though Schubert can be a bit crazy at times, he always knows when Megan needs him, whether she’s studying for her PhD or helping a stranger in distress

Schubert entered our lives in May 2021. Both of us are currently studying for PhDs and Schubert has been a real lifeline to get us through that. He is clumsy and a hilarious ball of energy, but he also knows when we need calm and he’s sensitive to our needs as well as his own.

He’s sensitive to our needs as well as his own

Just recently, we took Schubert on a walk up the Wrekin in Shropshire and on the way down we encountered a woman who had fallen and broken her ankle. She had three young children with her. Normally Schubert is not brilliant with children, but he could sense how upset they were, and he sat very calmly for nearly two hours, allowing them to hug him, stroke him and just gain comfort from him. Once we were eventually able to continue the walk down the Wrekin, it was completely dark, and Schubert led the way to ensure a safe path for us all. We were very proud of him that day.

Schubert has also suffered a lot with allergies since March this year. He was very subdued for a few months, but we recently added a new puppy, Heidi, to our family. Since then, Schubert has really regained the spring in his step and returned to his playful self. He is still suffering from with his allergies, but we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

In the face of grief, Bertie has brought light to owner Dave and his wife’s life

Bertie has been the gift of life for my wife and I after we lost our baby daughter at only two weeks old.

Thank you, Bertie

The dark days are brighter with Bertie, and he shows love like no other can. He makes my wife smile again, which I never thought possible after the dreadful time we went through.

Thank you, Bertie. You're a furry angel in disguise.

Pamela has hours of fun with her dog Jarvis, who is always rearing to go and ready to play.

Jarvis is such a character, he always makes me smile!

He likes a lot of cuddles and kisses, and thinks he's very funny when he leaps onto the sofa and then bounces and gives you a kiss on the nose, even though I end up spilling a lot of tea! He will not get up to get a biscuit, but expects them to be brought to him.

Gives you a kiss on the nose

When he was a puppy we use to play a game called ‘put the puppy in the box’ – I would sit on the floor with a box and Jarvis would run and bark at me. I would say ‘put the puppy in the box’ and he would run off but he would keep coming back barking – he loved it!

He likes to go for walks and is always popular with people we meet – and he knows it! He loves it when people stop to give him a cuddle. He is our first dachshund and he has been amazing.

Since he came into Chris’ life, Wyn’s been a therapy pet, a school dog and even a blood donor

Wyn came to me after he'd been found as a stray and handed in at my vet. After no one came to claim him, I took him in. When he was first brought in, he wasn’t chipped or wearing a collar, so I asked him, ‘What's your name?’ Then I told him that that could be shortened to ‘Wyn’, and I got a wag. So, Wyn's name is actually the acronym of that question.

He's a Saluki cross, and like many Salukis, he enjoys chasing games with my other hounds. He's also a typical Sighthound, and when he’s not playing games, he chills out on the sofa.

He loves his cuddles – as far as he’s concerned, people are there to love and fuss him, and he returns that in kind. This quickly led to him doing his Pets As Therapy assessment, and he’s been visiting a local mental health hospital for many years now. He loves his visits, and everyone loves seeing him. The staff have told me he makes a real difference to the patients and their wellbeing.

He’s been visiting a local mental health hospital for many years

Wyn’s also an education dog, so he goes into schools with me to promote animal welfare. After our sessions, the children get to meet him. He’s always really gentle with them, and he's even helped some of them overcome their fear of dogs.

He recently retired as a blood donor with Pet Blood Bank UK, having made 25 donations. This means he helped save the lives of 100 dogs, as each donation gets turned into four blood products. He even continued donating during Covid, even though I wasn't allowed to accompany him.

Wyn is always a fantastic icebreaker. Usually no one speaks to each other on train journeys, but when I’m travelling to events with him, everyone wants to come and say hello. He’s a fantastic companion to me and a wonderful ambassador for dogs in general, particularly Sighthounds.