One of our dogs, Cleo
age: 18 months

This is one of our family dogs, Cleo (short for Cleopatra, DEFINITELY the queen of our household!).

Cleo is an 18-month old English Springer Spaniel who's a friendly energetic bundle of fun.

Nine months ago when we got her you would never believe she could ever be the happy dog she is now. When she was called to 'come' she would slink up cowering and submissive in her desperate instinctive efforts to escape one of the accustomed beatings. What beast could take his temper out like this on dogs?

We are Cleo's third home. We rescued her from the animal rescue shelter a few months ago where she was placed - thin, cut, bruised and cowering - by horrified RSPCA inspectors. Apparently she originally was a cute Christmas present but when the puppy became a naughty adolescent her first owners decided to give her away. She was too much trouble.

We hoped that Cleo had landed on her feet when she came to us. We slowly gained her confidence, always letting her make the first move. To start with we had to only use slow movements and never raise our voices. Once, soon after we got her, our children were running screaming through the house in play and she disappeared under our bed for hours. She only came out when we went to bed, ate the food we had left out for her and then gently crept onto the bed at our feet.

The children had to learn to play quietly in the house.

Within a few weeks her original personality became evident. Soon she was confidently meeting other dogs on walks although still a bit wary of men - especially young men with big boots. Everyone who met Cleo wondered how anyone could not love such a gorgeous and friendly dog. She loves to be fussed over. Whenever we enter the room she always greets us by running up with her tail wagging furiously and what looks like a big grin on her face. It's hard to believe she is the same dog as the thin, cowering creature she was such a short while ago.

Sadly, her problems were not over. Six months after we had her she started looking unwell, she lost her energy, and her skin started to bleed. Fortunately we had her insured as the total bill would have been about £3,000. She is on an ongoing cocktail of drugs and we don't know for how long, but she is now back to her happy loving self, playing excitedly with the children, running in the park with other dogs and her early life a distant memory - apart from a reminder when she sees men wearing big boots..