We say summer is the season for adventures. The time to make unforgettable memories with loved ones.
For Betsy, it proved to be true. Because in August 2024, she embarked on her biggest adventure yet.
The four-year-old Mastiff was brought into the old Pictou Shelter as a stray by a Good Samaritan in July of 2024. After a week of minor medical treatments and a lot of love from the shelter staff, Betsy was ready to have people she could call her own.
Two and a half hours away, Taylor and Noah were just as ready for a new adventure and eager to add a new member to their family.
The couple drove to the shelter, nervous excitement floating through the air, questions running through their minds about how this would all go. But Betsy erased all of them as soon as she met them. “It was love at first sight. She laid right now for some belly rubs, and we were sold,” Taylor reminisces about their meeting.
And thus, their home grew once again. 
A family and home so full of love, Betsy felt it the moment she walked through the door. Taylor remembers, “Betsy fit in immediately. She slept with us on her first night! She adjusted so well, we truly can’t believe it. She and Goose [our first pet] get along great, and we adjusted to her just as well. She even loves our cat.”
Pets adopted from a shelter can take up to three months to feel safe in a new environment. Betsy fit in from the very start. But she took a little time to fully be herself and show off her fabulous personality.
“Betsy is the definition of a gentle giant. She is so quiet and so laid back, it is hilarious. She’s the polar opposite of Goose. When we first got her, I think she didn’t know how to be a dog. She was just kind of on autopilot. She was sweet but had no real personality traits. She does now! She’s really come out of her shell. She’s become our second snuggle buddy and the best heated blanket,” Taylor says about Betsy. She adds, “We love to take Betsy into the nursing home I work at. She is just so gentle and patient with everyone and brings them so much joy.”
Now, Betsy is a girl who knows what she likes and what she doesn’t, and she’s not afraid to let you know. At the top of the list are naps, treats, and her dad. Betsy will lie down anywhere and every chance she gets, will do anything for a treat or more, and her dad is always in her visual field.
At the bottom of the list are baths. Betsy has some strong feelings about the time she has to get clean. She tries the magic of puppy eyes. When they don’t work, she patiently, and somewhat eagerly, waits for the moment she can jump out and soak the entire bathroom.
It has been almost a year since Betsy found her loving home and family. And she has had a lot of first-time experiences. But so have her fur parents. Taylor and Noah mention, “We got to experience the pure joy of giving a dog a second chance at a happy life. With Goose, it was different because he never knew anything but a good life. But giving Betsy everything she wants has been nothing but pure joy.”
Like Betsy, there are more pets in Nova Scotia SPCA shelters who are waiting for that pure joy of giving and receiving love. You can read their profiles on the Nova Scotia SPCA adoption website or drop by the nearest shelter to you.
Taylor and Noah even have some advice based on their experience. “If there is one thing we want to tell everyone who is thinking of adopting a dog from a shelter is to go for it, but do your research first. We did a lot of research on what we could expect as far as bringing a shelter dog home. Besides that, we also did a lot of research on Mastiff breeds so we would know what to expect for a dog of her size. We felt prepared before we took her home.”
All that research paid off. Because now life is full of cozy naps, tail wags, and the type of bond they write movies about.
The couple had a sweet note to add about Betsy that summarizes the love this sweet girl receives daily. “Betsy has been nothing but a light in our lives since the day we brought her home. She knows nothing but unconditional love and kindness. We have never regretted getting her for a second and we wouldn’t change a thing about her. We love our big ‘Betsy-PooPoo.’”