'In my darkest hour, I reached for a hand and found your paw.' When Nicola found Buddy, abandoned and broken, she vowed to do all she could to help save him. What she didn't know at the time was that this little dog would in turn save her.

Rescued from certain death, with love and care this brave little dog survived - and won the nation's hearts at Crufts. My name is Buddy and I love playing frisbee in the park. But life hasn't always been so easy for me. The day I was discovered on a wasteland outside London, I had been abandoned in a crate and was suffering from mange and severe dermatitis. I weighed only 3kg, and the vets said I was the worst case of neglect they had ever seen. They gave me only a few days to live. But my human friend Nicola showed me the love and affection I needed to pull through, and together we helped each other find happiness again. Now 11, I am adored by my online fans for my intelligence, my energy and my winning smile.