Ace found his perfect match when Kevin Wendt – Bachelor in Paradise Canada fan favourite – chose him as his lifelong companion. For Kevin, it was love at first sight when he rescued Ace, but it took a little longer for his new partner to warm up to him.

“When we adopted Ace, he was a little timid with me. He wasn’t quite sure! But when he got home with all his toys and treats and dog bed laying out, it didn’t take long to go, ‘Okay, this is the place I want to be!’”

“I think my biggest takeaway from adopting is that there is a dog for everyone,” Kevin says. “Nothing beats a dog’s unconditional excitement and love. They are always just so happy you’re home. It does wonders for your mental health. We save their lives but, in a way, they save ours.”

Now these two fun-loving adventurers are living happily ever after.

With the Spence household already being home to three children and eight pets (five cats and four dogs – all rescues) taking on another animal wasn’t exactly on the agenda.

“We weren’t looking at the time, which always seems to be the case, but here we are!” says Elizabeth, explaining that her husband’s mother has just passed away from cancer and Pearl was found near her apartment building. “It felt right to bring her into the family,” says Elizabeth.

Despite juggling countless kids, pets, and priorities, Elizabeth couldn’t resist Pearl’s charms and this cultured cat has become the gem of the Spence household. “She’s becoming the ‘Mom’ of the group,” says Elizabeth, adding that her kids are very attached to Pearl and all their rescue animals.

“Kids love the rescuing aspect of having pets,” she says. “It teaches them compassion and going through the adoption process gives them a sense of purpose from day one.”

John Rush adopted gentle giant, Bone (full name ‘Bonhomme’) within five minutes of meeting him. But the loveable big guy wasn’t John’s first canine companion. “Pet adoption was a value instilled in me from a young age,” he says, adding, “I would encourage people to reframe their mindset on shelters. Each dog has a personality, emotions, feelings. These dogs are in shelters for no fault of their own. You can find amazing dogs in shelters… You change their lives, but they also change yours.”

Bone has certainly changed John’s life, joining him on a cross-country tour taking in five provinces and eight national parks while assisting him as an ambassador for the Canadian Animal Blood Bank and the Winnipeg Humane Society. Not bad for a 150lb dog whose legs didn’t work when John adopted him.

“Dogs give you a sense of purpose and add some structure to your day,” John says. “Knowing what they went through, the objective is to show them the world and a great life.” Bone is certainly living the good life now, sleeping upside down next to the front door; getting up on the bed and in the car with a little help from his friend; and hanging out with his “menace of a little sister” – fellow rescue dog, Bailey.

Quebec-based animal trainer and Instagrammer, Alexe Wolfe, is best known for the gravity-defying tricks of her dogs, Stitch and Boo. But cool cat Merida is the true queen of Chez Wolfe, having been adopted by Alexe to help one of her other rescue cats – Mulan – to adapt to life with her other rescues (one dog and four cats in total – all from shelters).

As far back as she can remember, Alexe has had a passion for animals. This, along with a university degree in psychology, helped her to become a self-taught animal trainer. Even Merida has learned a trick or two. She can leap up onto Alexe’s shoulders and jump through a hoop.

When asked about the importance of adopting from animal shelters, Alexe says, “So many dogs and cats deserve a better life. Give them a second chance and see how much they can change in your life. An animal can give you a sense of completion and comfort. You need them as much as they need you. They have, each in their own way, a gift to make us feel not only surrounded and respected but loved unconditionally.”