They offer comfort and love in return for food, warmth, cuddles and games.
When we asked owners to post photos of their pets and tell us why they’re the best, touching stories flooded our Facebook site.
One pet helped its owner through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, another was training to be a diabetic alert dog for a girl and a third helped comfort a disabled boy during tough times.
Read More... 9. Survival instinct Joanne Peters calls Milo a "miracle fur baby....only one to survive out of litter." Photo: Joanne Peters
10. Hello handsome! Jane Holmes writes: "My beautiful boy Loki, love him so much 😍😍😍😍" Photo: Jane Holmes
11. Hop up! Georgia Churchill writes: "Binx the rabbit 🖤 best friends with my son, so sweet and affectionate." Photo: Georgia Churchill
12. Little shadow Gemma Radford posts: "Biscuit is 6 and follows me everywhere." Photo: Gemma Radford