After helping Sarah recover from the loss of her first pup, Yogi is now supporting his local community as well

Yogi Bear brings light and love into our lives. We had a puppy before him, who was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition – we looked after him until the end. Then Yogi healed our scars.

Yogi healed our scars

I soon realised he was incredibly sociable, and people loved him. I started taking him to the care home that backs onto our garden. Some of the patients never speak, but they can all say ‘Yogi’!

He also visits a local nursery, and the kids LOVE him. You always want to give back to the community, and Yogi is my faithful pup helping me do that. He’s my shadow, so kind and gentle. But if you drive an Amazon van, he suddenly thinks he’s a Doberman!

Dennis is the dog of Gillian’s dreams – and he’s even won round her husband, too!

After many years of persuasion, my husband finally agreed to get a dog, which was great news for my son and daughter who had always wanted one.

Not long after, I found Dennis, an adorable Border Terrier. It felt like it wasmeant to be. He has been the best thing to happen to our family since thechildren were born. Dennis has helped us get through lockdown, and to deal with our grief, as my mother-in-law sadly passed away not long before we brought him home.

Dennis has helped us get through lockdown

He’s also been my daughter’s home-school buddy and has boosted her confidence when she’s had down days. Our adorable pup has even brought a smile to my fathers-in-law’s face, for which we’ll be forever grateful.

All that being said, it’s surprisingly my husband who is Dennis’s biggest fan!

Throughout his cancer battle, Jeff’s beautiful bond with his dog Holly has kept him going

Holly allows me to be her guide person. She is totally blind but still does everything with such determination, whether it’s visiting new places, climbing steps or gently nudging me when she wants a cuddle.

Her strength gives me the determination to keep going

Every new surface she walks on is a challenge, which she courageously accepts. I have stage four prostate cancer and multi-level spinal stenosis, but her strength gives me the determination to keep going.

Holly makes me realise that life is a challenge, but we can all overcome whatever it throws our way, as long as we have the support of someone special. Holly has become my someone very special. Every day is a new adventure.

Dani is incredibly grateful for the endless companionship and unconditional love that Lulu offers her

Lulu the Springer Spaniel is very special to me. She was born three days before Christmas in 2015, and has been my very own guardian angel ever since. As my four-legged best friend, she’s always managed to keep my spirits high, even at the very hardest of times.

A bit of a mischief-maker

She loves her squeaky duck toys, cuddles and running around the fields near our home. She’s also a bit of a mischief-maker and is always looking for a dirty puddle run through! Lulu gets everything she wants and even has her very own spot on the living room sofa.

Back when I had my horse, she would come to the stables with me to ‘help’ me do jobs and run alongside me as I rode. Sadly, I lost my horse unexpectedly, but Lulu was there to help me through my grief every step of the way. She is a loyal, caring dog who is truly one-of-a-kind and a huge part of my life.

Nikki’s dogs Jasper and Teddie offer her endless love, laughter and affection

Jasper was our first ever rescue dog. He has so many little quirks and funny habits. He likes to sing – or howl – along to any music he hears. He also tries to eat any post that comes through the letterbox, and can bounce extremely high, like a kangaroo! This is funny because he has no sense of how tiny he actually is. Despite his size, he’s very confident and likes to protect our other dog, Teddie, whenever we’re all out on a walk together.

They’ve kept us going through lockdown

Teddie the Zuchon is boisterous and fast, but also very clumsy. He adores Jasper and spends most of his time either cuddling up to him or pestering the life out of him. Teddie likes to do tricks, such as throwing his toy up in the air and then catching it – though, he’s not always very good, and often Jasper manages to snatch it first.

Both dogs have brought so much love and hilarity into our lives. They’ve kept us going through lockdown, and definitely take care of us as much as we do them.

Nymeria has been through a lot, but Tabitha is in constant awe of how she takes everything in her stride

I’ve had Nym since she was just a puppy, and since then she has remained closely by my side. When she was younger, I taught her lots of tricks such as rolling, walking on her hind legs and pirouetting. She has got me through many tough times with her calm demeanour and cosy cuddles.

She very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness

In early 2020, Nym went suddenly and completely blind. She started running into things and became much more nervous. Fortunately, she’s a sweet and trusting dog, so she very quickly grasped how to live with her blindness, learning new words such as ‘careful’ and ‘step’. Now she’s used to navigating using her sense of smell and hearing and has even memorised the layout of the house as well as our regular walking routes, so she can get around with confidence.

I love my dog just as much now as the day I got her. I wouldn't change her for the world.