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A sweet one-year-old Labrador mix named Betsy is looking for her forever home at the Humane Society of Broward County. Despite being an absolute sweetheart, Betsy has been at the shelter for over a month, longer than staff anticipated.
Matthew Seligman from the Humane Society of Broward County presented Betsy as the pet of the week, describing her as friendly and loving. Weighing about 56 pounds, Betsy would make a great addition to an active household.
"She's absolutely so friendly and loving. She would really make an addition to an active household," Matthew said. "I wouldn't say she's super high energy, but definitely gonna need a bit of exercise."
As a Labrador mix, Betsy enjoys typical lab activities like swimming and burning energy outdoors through long walks or playing in a fenced yard. She particularly loves toys and spends much of her time at the shelter playing with them.
Regarding compatibility with other animals, shelter staff believe Betsy would do well with other pets. She has successfully participated in play groups at the shelter and shows no prey drive when encountering small animals during walks.
"Just based on her demeanor, I really think she'd be good potentially, even with cats," Matthew said. "She doesn't show any kind of like a prey drive when she sees squirrels or small critters when we're walking around, so usually that's a very good indicator to us that she'll probably do fine with other animals."
The shelter offers meet-and-greet sessions for families with existing pets. They will place an animal on hold and conduct meetings the following morning to ensure compatibility.
For families considering adoption, Matthew emphasized the importance of patience during the adjustment period. The shelter follows the "333 rule" - three days, three weeks, three months - recognizing that it takes time for animals to adapt to new routines and schedules.
"The biggest thing I try to really relate to all of our adopters is patience," Matthew said. "Even if we have a dog that says she's completely housebroken, take that with a grain of salt. When she's stressed out in a new environment, you know, an accident is likely to happen."
The Humane Society of Broward County has several upcoming events. On February 14 and 15, they will host their "Adopt a Sweetheart" special, offering half-off adoption fees for dogs one year and older. Some sponsored dogs will have their full adoption fees waived.
On February 21, the shelter will hold its Walk for the Animals, their biggest fundraising event of the year. Staff hope Betsy will be adopted in time for her new family to participate in the walk.
Those interested in adopting Betsy or learning more about the shelter can visit humanebroward.com. The website is updated hourly with pictures and information about all available animals, volunteer opportunities, and special events like birthday parties.
