I adopted Torben (was Mikey) from the Balerno centre 2 years ago. He had been on the rehoming website for such a long time, probably due to him being an albino as some people favour other colours. He settled in quickly in my big group and he loves nothing better to snooze in one of the many hammocks he has to choose from. Torben and my other ferrets are a massive part of my life, they are such amazing creatures, very playful and adventurous(but can sometimes give a playful nip!) They are funny and fascinating and each one has their own character.

A cat like no other. She came into my life at a time when I needed the love of and love to give to a furry friend. Her antics, personality and her stubborn will made her just like her namesake. Sadly Leia was born with a heart condition. She took a saddle thrombus in 2020, fought it and survived. Her sheer strength and determination to still live her best life was inspiring. She thrived for 6 more weeks when devastatingly, she took a second thrombotic event. I made the hardest choice of my life and let her go to Rainbow Bridge where I know she will be playing. Your story is my story, Leia - thank you for bringing me back to myself and the true meaning of unconditional love.

Our two pussycats came from a rescue centre in Kilmarnock in August 2018. They were very young and very scared. It has taken them three years to become more confident, allowing us to stroke them without flinching. They also like to follow us about and it seems they like our company, although they may never become ‘lap cats’. They have become more talkative, particularly at meal times! They also like having our two dogs around - Nelson, as described separately and our 16 year old Spaniel. Sally. Neffie is a beautiful tabby who is definitely the more timid one, but she loves playing with her toy mice, especially the pink one! Wadjet is predominately white, but with the most beautiful black heart nose. She is the mad one! She loves boxes, bags and rolling around in Persian carpets!! We love our rescue cats so much and appreciate all the laughs and fun they have given us during lockdown and beyond. Perhaps one day they might deign to sit with us?!!

We found Max on the motorway on 25/12/2019 in Poland. We stopped the traffic and drove 80 km to the vet. He had swollen brain, broken canines, fractured jaw and dislocated hip (vet’s video https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=799709190455989) “Friendly Paw” charity had high number of rescues due to COVID, and Max chances to find home were slim. Hence, as soon as Covid restrictions were lifted, he joined us in May 2020 after travelling for 3 days. His arrival to Scotland was celebrated on https://www.facebook.com/przyjaznalapa/posts/3167533383344357 We fell in love from the moment he put his paws on our carpet in the living room. His arrival during the pandemic has made our struggles with lockdown easier. This big fur ball loves to play with his cat brothers in the garden. He gently places himself at the end of the bed at night and snores in a somewhat calming way. Max has found his permanent home full of cuddles far away from his previous life. He loves us and is loved back.

Poppys my 11yr old lurcher girl whose had multiple homes through no fault of her own Sadly Poppys previous owner had become terminally ill & the family struggled to care for her Poor Poppys only hope would be to return to the animal shelter where she would be given another chance of being rehomed for the 8th time in 9yrs Simultaneously our big boy, Jay had been taken from us much sooner than we could have possibly imagined Through Grievance I swore there would be no more dogs until I heard about Poppy I couldn’t bear to think what she'd be going through & worst of all on her own I picked her up from a very sad situation & brought her home Together we grieved for those we had loved & lost We helped each other through our saddest & loneliest times Together we regained our strength & found happiness through a friendship built from trust & unconditional love Poppy always will be an integral part of our family Thank you for being there when I needed you most 🐾

I recently lost my little white ball of fluff Paris who was my absolute everything! When she past she left a massive hole in the family and in my heart. My MH took a really bad turn as she was not only my best friend but also my own personal fluffy dose of serotonin. After taking some time to grieve such a massive loss I decided it might be time to start looking for another little soul to come join our family and wonderful Willow here showed up! She hasn’t been with us for long but she’s already a major part of our family and has brought back my smile which I will forever be grateful for. I know my little Paris has been guiding her and helping her settle in and her unique little personality is shining so bright already 💚

We adopted Buster, aka Scotland's Happiest Dog, in January 2017 from Edinburgh SSPCA after being in kennels for 2 years. He is so well behaved and charms everyone he meets. He proves that Staffies are lovable and loyal dogs and was even on an American TV morning show to promote Staffies. He's brought us so much happiness and has enjoyed holidays with us in Northern Island and Wales. Sadly he's just been diagnosed with a cancerous tumour in his nose, so we are making sure that he is getting even more love & attention than usual.

We adopted Rosie (Pepper) on 13/09/2020. She had serious trust issues and we had to visit her a number of times at Cardonald rescue centre before she would even walk on lead with us. After a few months of love and care she has become a fabulous companion for our family. She can still be a little nervous of strangers but is unrecognisable to the dog we brought home. She is well recognised and loved in our local community and is a joy to be with. We even have friends who have now adopted after seeing how a rescue dog can become a great family member. Rosie is a star and contributes enormously to our family life. She love to sit with her head on your leg!

When my last Kerry Blue Terrier died I contacted Kerry Blue Terrier Rescue. That was when we first heard of Nelson. Apparently his owner was very ill and her son thought Nelson should be rehomed. Nelson lived in Northern Italy!! He was due to come to us in November 2019, but, at the last moment, his owner could not part with him. Sadly she died six months later and Nelson was placed in kennels. We were contacted in September 2021 and after an epic journey Nelson arrived on 4th October...just before lockdown. Poor Nelson was still badly grieving the loss of his mum, whom he had been with for 12 years. He gradually settled down and I became his second mum. We love him to bits and he kept us sane during lockdown .We had so many lovely walks in the snow and as spring arrived Nelson enjoyed new sights and smells after the last snow had disappeared. We are so happy to have Nelson as part of our lives and just glad we have managed to let a deeply grieving dog begin to love again.

Our girl Lexy has had 7 operations in as many months after neglect by previous owners. She was unwalkable on the lead and not socialised with other dogs. But she is beautiful in nature and super smart, so with a good trainer we took the task on ourselves and she’s a different dog now. The socialisation is the hardest bit, still working on that but she is the centre of our world and deserves the best as they all do!

When my much loved cocker spaniel passed away in Sept 20 I was lost without him and struggled to find joy in anything. Until I came across Charlie the 14yr old toy poodle at the Balerno rescue center needing a home. I brought him home in Dec 20 and he settled in immediately. He needed me as much as I him. We are now inseparable and he has brought so much happiness back to my home. He looks fabulous now and even though he's 15 next month everyone thinks he's my new puppy. He's loves his food even though he has no teeth. But most of all he loves cuddles and sleep. He has already inspired a friend to rescue instead of buy there next dog 😍

We got Sandy from the Aberdeenshire SSPCA a few years ago and she was incredibly stressed and angry after being abandoned beside bins. She’s now unrecognisable, sits for cuddles and loves attention. Throughout COVID when nothing was certain, she was a constant - you can always count on her to wake you up at 5AM for breakfast! We can’t imagine our lives without her now

Bramble my Border Terrier is 7 and an absolute character. When I come home from work he and Rascal the cat and I all sit down and relax together, one hand stroking Bramble and the other one stroking Rascal. They curl up in the same bed, the cat trots behind the dog when on walks and they can very often be found sitting companionably together under cover on the porch of the play shed watching the rain. In return for food, warmth and care, they provide endless hours, days, weeks and years of love, comfort, joy and laughter and are never far away. They are a cracking pair and I come my blessings to have them!

Sheru is now 11 years old, but still acts like a kitten. Very loveable but at the same time a very silly cat, and for some reason has a weird obsession with plastic bags. Me and my mum took Sheru in at 3 year old after our first cat Vera unfortunately passed due to cancer. Sheru was passed around owners for all his life so was very sceptical of us at first, but has fortunately grown to love us and 8 years on, it feels like he hasn't aged a day.

At the start of lockdown, many friendships of mine began to suffer. I lost contact with many people and only really had my family. Being an independent person, I didn’t think this would bother me as much as it did, but, while I did enjoy lockdown (perks of being an introvert), it was almost one of the loneliest times of my life. One of the only things I had was my cat, Bella. I feel like people underestimate the connection an owner can have with a cat, as dogs are always seen as the most loyal and worthy. I’ve never agreed with this. I talk to my cat, and having a conversation with someone who cannot understand a single word of what you’re saying is somewhat comforting. I think it’s because they cannot judge you. Despite how many times you accidentally step on their tail or leave them outside in the rain for too long, they always just love you. For me, Bella was one of the primary reasons I stayed sane during lockdown, and I wish she knew that.

We adopted Jeli from the Aberdeenshire SSPCA on 28 Dec 2018. She was about a year old, and had had a litter. She was a tiny, terrified, wee toot who would run under the bed or climb the highest shelf when people came near. Now almost 3 years on she rules the roost, she has not deigned to be a lap cat but does like to be close by. We no longer put out food for birds in our garden as no bird is safe from our wee hunter, she loves to bring us

Charlie (or as I call him, uncle Charles) is my Grandfathers feathered friend. As a gent in his 90s, who lives alone, the lockdown has been challenging. He has kept budgies all of his life, but not since his last one passed a decade ago. Then at the start of this year he adopted this wee lad! Charlie is full of personality and is so gentle, he brings happiness to everyone, especially his Dad (my Granda). We all adore him so much, and he has made such a positive impact on my incredible Granda!!

My story begins with a business visit to the Glasgow Homing Centre to discuss corporate support. On my visit I asked for a walk around and was introduced to a small, quivering and extremely nervous Jack Russell Terrier. I immediately fell in love. I adopted Coco that week. Coco had a particularly tough start in life but thanks to the help of the SPCA and the love from our family, she is now getting the life she deserves. Thank you SPCA for our introduction.

After loosing our beloved 14 year old Shi Tzu, Barney a few years ago and my father last year we didn't know if we could go through the heartache of loosing a close family member again, but slowly you realise that there is a gap in your life. We decided during lockdown to add another member to the family and here he is. Buddy is a 16 month old Lachon. He is mischevious, loving, determined and always on the go. I am back to work but as my husband is retired Buddy joins him 5 days a week on the golf course with the lads, and loveds his walks down by the beach with the odd swim in the open sea.

We rescued Diesel from Caithness, giving him his retirement home, he's a 13y/o German Shepherd who acts more like he is a puppy, Full of beans, cheek, and love for our family, he has found his forever home... as long as that may be. We thank the society for giving us the chance to be able to give him the love he deserves. We have an amazing sense of pride to be a part of helping the Scottish SPCA.

Kody is a brother of Winnie featured in first story. He is a great dog, happy round other dogs and loves chasing a ball and playing with his fluff toys. He has settled in great with us and loves his walks and play times both in the park and on the beach.

Our rescue boy Dingo came from a puppy farm in Ireland. He’s brought havoc and joy to our lives and we love his energy and spirit. We haven’t been able to visit my som in Australia due to COVID and it’s ironic that we rescued a puppy who had the name Dingo. We’re not just celebrating Dingo though. On our walks and adventures we totally appreciate the amazing wildlife we have around us and Dingo loves the scents and sounds all around us.

Bella is a ray of sunshine, in this dark and uncertain times, she has often lifted my husband and I when Covid lockdown made us sad. I have uploaded a photo with Bella and Mairi Gougeon Cabinet Minister of rural affairs in Petterden ARRC

This is Lilou and Lilou likes to hide everywhere (bags and suitcases are her favourite!). She is a very happy little cat and we love her very much. She gets scared very easily so she likes to stay indoors with us for lots of cuddles (we're not complaining).

This is Cinnamon, our sweet little rescue from Bothwell ARRC. Although she has no teeth at all, she loves her food, especially chicken. She's a quiet little girl, but full of fun! Her favourite games are chasing ribbons pouncing on her wand toys and hiding behind curtains. Although she had a rough start in life, Cinnamon is such a happy cat. She loves to give head bumps and hold your hand with both her paws. Her favourite human is my son Craig, who she spends hours snuggled up with, purring away. Cinnamon has been with us almost a year now and we love her to bits!

Cloud is a very loyal Lab cross dog who we should have named Shadow! He just wants to be with his humans all the time making sure they are safe and happy. Although the postie probably would disagree he is a very loving boy. He isn't small but he does think he is a lap dog and likes to try curl up on a knee for a snooze. He loves playing with a tennis ball and going on caravan holidays. His enemy is reflections and the pesky lazer pen, he gets so close but can never quite catch them!

Goku is a leopard gecko adopted from Scottish SPCA. He was a bit shy at first and liked to hide away. Now he is the total opposite! If he isn't sleeping, he is up having a nosy at what's going on around him. His little Smiley face pops up at the glass and watches everything. He isn't sure about being picked but he will happily walk out of his viv himself onto my knee for attention. He is quick to let us know if we are late with his food and starts waving through the glass! Once he has had a good feed he likes nothing more than to stretch out and sleep in the heat!

We rehomed Squirtle, a marginated tortoise, from the Scottish SPCA and he knows what he wants! He loves his home comforts with his 6ft indoor enclosure. He would walk the entire length at top speed for a dandelion flower. He has decided he is too pampered to spend much time outside but will go out when it's a sunny day. We grow a wide range of flowers and weeds to keep his diet healthy although he tends to pick out his favourites! He gets a spa day a few times a week where he loves to sit under the shower and chill out.

Lucy is an energetic girl who absolutely loves long walks and chasing after her ball. If there is a muddy puddle nearby, Lucy will find it and have a lie down to cool off. When she isn't covered in mud, you will find Lucy cuddled up on the couch having a snooze. Unless someone is in the fridge, you can count on Lucy to be sitting giving you a paw, especially if there is a chance at getting a piece of cheese

Mojito is an energetic lad who wants to do everything at 100mph! Although he is 4yrs old, he pretty much acts just like a puppy but a very well trained one at that. He is rather scatty and loves his zoomies which all adds to his character. Mojito was a rescue who spent 2yrs in kennels before he found his forever home with a member of staff from the SSPCA, along with her 10yr old female rescue husky, who is now Mojitos sidekick. He absolutely loves other doggy company but also adores cuddles from his human companions.