2012 has seen a whole host of dogs and cats from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home hit the headlines, as a bus-boarding Dalmatian, animals named after Olympic champions, and the charity’s oldest ever dog captured the nation's imagination.

Every year Battersea cares for nearly 9,000 animals, each with their own heart breaking, challenging or inspirational story. As well as winning a special place in a new owners’ heart, many of these dogs and cats go on to become international superstars. Here, Battersea rounds up the homeless dogs and cats that made the news in 2012:

January

Here's a message from Ricochet who is fund raising to buy guardian angel teddy bears for the children returning to school at Sandy Hook Elementary School:

Please help us pay tribute to the kids, teachers and families who lost a loved one by donating $5 or more to Ricochet’s Guardian Angel fundraiser at
http://www.surfdogricochet.com/GuardianAngels.htm

I can’t think of a better Christmas gift than one of compassion in the name of your child, loved one or pet.

Our ultimate goal is to raise $26,000… one thousand dollars for each life taken.

They say London is a multicultural city, but it appears its dogs are too. Battersea Dogs & Cats Home says it has seen an increase in continental canines coming through its doors. Not only are these worldly woofers finding refuge at the charity, they are learning a new language there too.

WEST END STAR HELPS KEEP CANINES COSY
Jodie Prenger hands out Dogs Trust hampers for homeless people’s dogs at a St Mungo’s hostel

West End star and Dogs Trust supporter, Jodie Prenger, visited a St Mungo’s hostel today to hand out the first of 850 Dogs Trust Christmas Hampers being given to the dogs of homeless people and those in temporary accommodation across the UK. Receiving one of the hampers today was Sam the Samoyed, belonging to Michael Lyon, a current resident at a St Mungo’s hostel in Covent Garden.

This Christmas 450 dogs will be spending the festive season in kennels at one of Battersea’s three centres. Nobody knows these dogs better than the charity’s Ambassador Paul O’Grady, who will be documenting some of their stories in a Christmas Day Special of ITV1’s Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas.

Here, the dog-loving presenter highlights 12 dogs desperately seeking a new home from one of the three sites in London, Brands Hatch and Old Windsor.

As the nation prepares to tuck into turkey and Brussels sprouts, dog-lover Paul O’Grady has teamed up with Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to give his top tips to ensure the country’s dogs and cats enjoy the fun-filled festivities.

Paul certainly knows how to plan a four-legged Christmas as he shares his home with six pigs, nine sheep, four owls, two goats, four dogs and an army of chickens. He will also be appearing in Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas at 6pm on Christmas Day on ITV1, which is filmed at Battersea.

They may not have found a new home yet, but Chloe and Dale the Greyhounds have certainly found love at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home Old Windsor. The two abandoned dogs have become inseparable and now the charity is hoping to find them a home together where they can live happily ever after.

The canine couple arrived at Battersea separately under different circumstances. Six year old Dale arrived at Battersea Old Windsor after his racing career came to an end and was no longer wanted, while Chloe found herself at the charity as her owners could no longer care for her.