Before I tell you about losing Charley, I’d like you to meet him.

Every story has a beginning, and this is ours.

Charley came into my life after I found an advert for him on Gumtree.

He had already been sold once, but after only two weeks the people who bought him decided they no longer wanted him and returned him to his breeder.

Their reason was that he was too clingy and too needy.

I found that heartbreaking.

To me, he wasn’t clingy or needy. He was simply a young puppy looking for love, comfort and someone to belong to.

Looking back now, I often think that if those people hadn’t given him back, I would never have known one of the greatest little dogs to ever come into my life.

When I telephoned about the advert, I ended up talking to Charley’s human mum for nearly three hours.

She was a lovely lady, and I could immediately hear how much she loved all of her dogs.

Charley still lived with his beautiful mum, Bella, his dad—who I affectionately nicknamed Mr Grumpy because he always looked so grumpy—and his sister.

She admitted she didn’t really want to let Charley go. He was such an affectionate little puppy that saying goodbye wasn’t easy. She simply wanted to know he was going to a home where he would be loved.

After Charley came to live with me, I wanted to thank her for trusting me with him.

As I create realistic felted animal portraits, I made her a portrait of Bella as a gift. It was my way of saying thank you and letting her know that Charley had found exactly the loving home she had hoped for.

At the time, I actually bought Charley for the man I was living with.

Life, however, had other plans.

Charley made his own decision.

He wanted nothing to do with him.

Instead…

He chose me.

From that day forward, I became his person, and from that moment on we were rarely apart.

I already had another dog called Sophie, my Cavapoo.

From the very first day, Sophie welcomed Charley into our little family.

She became his teacher, showing him how to behave around the house, how to play, how to play-fight and how to be a happy little dog.

Charley adored Sophie.

He was forever swinging from her ears or hanging onto her tail as she walked around the house.

Not once did Sophie snap at him.

Even when he stole her favourite toys, she simply let him have them.

Their favourite game was tug of war.

Sophie was bigger and stronger, but somehow Charley always seemed to win.

Looking back, I don’t think he really won at all.

I think Sophie let him.

She knew he was still just a baby.

Before long, the two of them had become inseparable.

But Charley didn’t just become part of my life.

He became part of Steve’s life.

He became part of my best friend’s life.

And he became part of my mum’s life too.

He absolutely adored his nanny.

Whenever I took him to Mum’s bungalow, he became so excited he could hardly contain himself.

When Mum came to stay with me, Charley always had to be beside her.

He had his favourite place next to Mum.

And when Steve came round, he had his favourite place beside Steve too.

Charley had an amazing gift for making everyone feel loved.

Looking back now, I realise Charley didn’t simply come into my life.

He came into all of our lives.

He filled our home with love, laughter and happiness.

None of us knew then just how deeply this tiny little dog would touch our hearts.