29/07/2026
Meet Sandy.
Some stories begin with a plan, ours didn’t.
A few months before Sandy came into our lives, we had said goodbye to our beloved Pit Bull, Nina. Nina had been part of our family for almost ten years after we adopted her and losing her left a space in our home that simply couldn’t be filled overnight.
One afternoon, on my way home, I made a completely unplanned decision. I turned into Animal Welfare Society PE. I wasn’t looking for my next dog. I simply wanted to walk through and spend a little time with the dogs. As I walked past kennel after kennel, they all did what excited dogs naturally do. They barked, they jumped, they all wanted attention. Then I reached Sandy, she didn’t bark, she didn’t jump. She was quietly standing next to the gate and as I walked past, she just leaned over and simply waited for a rub.
That moment stayed with me. I went home and couldn’t stop talking about her. The next day Geraldene, JJ and I went back together. We spent some time with her and later that day after the inspections were done, she came home with us.
Sandy was just two years old. She had previously belonged to a breeder and, after she could no longer have puppies, he was giving her away. Animal Welfare Society stepped in to make sure she had the opportunity to find a loving family instead of ending up in the wrong hands.
Although she’d never really been part of a family before, she adapted almost immediately. Today she’s a gentle 75kg+ Boerboel who thinks she’s a lap dog and snores louder than any dog (or person!) I’ve ever met. Because she was too big for anything we could find in the shops… We had to have a custom bed made just for her.
But behind all those funny moments is something much more important. Sandy reminded me that every animal deserves a second chance, not because they’re perfect… but because they’re worthy of being loved.
A big thank you to every animal welfare organisation, rescue organisation, foster family and volunteer who dedicate their time to changing the lives of animals every single day. Special thank you to Kathryn and the rest of the team at Animal Welfare PE for giving Sandy her second chance.
The work you do doesn’t only change the lives of animals, it changes the lives of families like ours too.
If you’ve adopted a rescue pet, I’d genuinely love to meet them. Please share a photo and tell me their story in the comments.
If you are looking to add a new furry member to your family, I hope you find encouragement in Sandy’s story and choose to adopt instead of shop… There are so many animals in need of a loving home.
🐾❤️
