Today I’m thankful for the dogs we’ve had the good fortune to call family.

Our first pet as a family was Reno. He was a Jack Russell/Beagle cross. He had a Jack Russell’s head and legs, a Beagle’s body and a short brown and black tail with a white tuft.

When we first saw him, wearing his wee green bandana, we fell in love.

He was far from perfect, exhibiting guarding behaviours that no amount of intervention would break, but he was ours.

He was calm around the girls, as a baby my daughter could play with him without concern. He and I had our challenges but when he sensed I was in pain, he’d cosy up next to me.

He had a rough start to life. He was actually found wandering where I grew up. I guess that environment wasn’t good for either of us.

We spent time together as a family and had many adventures before he took ill aged 11.

One morning he made a mess of the stairs, and developed a cough.We rushed him to the vet who suggested that it may be his heart, and gave us tablets.

We saw no improvement. So we took him to the vet, who kept him for an x-ray.

I waited at home for a call, and when the call came it was bad news. His lungs had developed several tumours, and I was asked to make the most horrible decision of my life.

Together we watched as the light left his eyes. We were heartbroken, and swore we’d never get another pet. This hurt too much

The house grew quiet and we found ourselves in bed early every night, there was no reason to stay up.

Six months later, my wife was working alongside Emma at All Dog and Cat Rescue, through whom we learned of a dog, Mim, who had three legs and couldn’t find a home.

Our hearts went to this disabled dog, and before we knew it, we had named her Luna and she was part of the family.

There’s a certain guilt in bringing another pet into the family. But loving Luna doesn’t mean we love Reno any less. He taught us how to love, and doing so honours his memory.

Dogs have such a short time in this world, so love as many as you can.