Is it possible that a single lottery can show love for animals and people too??? Paws-itively! The SPCA weekly 50/50 lottery does exactly that. At their core, the SPCA is all about animals. But they’re also about supporting Nova Scotia families, especially in these tough times. In fact, the SPCA started the 50/50 draw because they wanted to find a way to raise crucial funds for homeless pets AND help animal lovers – a definite win-win. Many lucky animal lovers have taken home thousands of dollars, all while supporting homeless pets.
I caught up with Nancy Bedford, who won the weekly 50/50 on August 3rd. The jackpot hit an amazing $8,805 – Nancy won half with the other half going directly to helping homeless pets this busy summer season. Nancy exclaimed “When I learned that I was the lucky winner, it was an immediate reaction to donate some of the winnings back to the SPCA for the animals.” So, Nancy made an extra special donation of $400!
Nancy first found out about the 50/50 lottery by following the SPCA on Twitter. She said “I buy tickets regularly now. My thought is that it is always a WIN for the animals, so why not purchase tickets if I can……It’s such a great cause. I have always been a supporter of the SPCA. When I think of all the work put in to helping animals through the hurricanes, wildfires, floods and every-day circumstances that lead to the SPCA being involved, I am drawn to trying to help where I can. The SPCA does such great work! They are amazing.”
Nancy and her husband Chris Boyling have been regular supporters of animal rescue organizations. She shared “We have been blessed with the ability to adopt 7 deserving rescue dogs over the years, and it is organizations like the SPCA that are true heroes in saving lives and enriching families. We lived in Ontario prior to Nova Scotia and adopted from the OSPCA and Lab Rescue Ontario. All our dogs had amazing stories and each one gave us such unconditional love. Our last rescue dog Maggie passed away at age 15 in May 2022. It was heartbreaking – she had been with us for years and was an awesome doggie sister to our other dogs. When she passed, it was like we lost all of them all over again. While we are currently ‘empty dog nesters’, we will eventually welcome another wonderful dog into our lives and cannot wait!”
Nancy’s support of the Nova Scotia SPCA extends beyond the 50/50. She has also volunteered at the Dartmouth Shelter as a dog walker and cat cuddler. “I can’t describe how amazing it is to see their eyes perk up when given some love and affection,” related Nancy. These incredible creatures are all deserving of the most wonderful lives and they have that ‘I’m ready to give you unconditional love’ look in their eyes.” Nancy has also participated in fund-raisers and charity walks/runs.
Nancy and Chris also try to donate much-needed shelter supplies whenever they see a request on social media. Nancy shared “When our Lab Hunter passed in January 2021 and our Yorkie-Poo Maggie in May 2022, we donated food, blankets, crates, shampoo, absolutely anything that may be helpful and useful. We also drop off/donate household items for sale at the SPCA Thrift Store in Dartmouth. We’ll do anything to try and help out. We only wish we could do more.”
Nancy encourages everyone to support the 50/50 lottery. “It’s a kind, loving, wonderful way to help and is definitely a win-win. It’s something good that I can do. I may not be able to make a huge difference, but together as a caring community of supporters, every small donation adds up.”
I asked Nancy what inspires her and Chris to be so giving. “We have always been animal lovers and advocates,” she replied. “All the dogs we have had were dearly loved family members and each holds a special place in our hearts. One of our sweet dogs in particular – Angel – who was rescued from a puppy mill, inspires us. We had a special bond, a connection, that is hard to describe in words.” Please read about Angel below.
You can show YOUR love for homeless animals and Nova Scotian families from the comfort of your home. Please show your support by buying a 50/50 ticket. Who knows – you could be one click away from being the next lucky winner! Click here.
We wanted to honor the memory of Angel, Nancy’s and Chris’s beautiful Lab rescue, who shared their life for 5 wonderful years.
“She did not have a name when she arrived at the shelter. She was rescued from a horrific situation – a puppy mill where most of the cats and dogs did not survive. She was a scared petite black Lab about 8 years old. When we read her story, tears rolled down our faces. This little darling had never been around people (except the loving folks at the OSPCA) and since being rescued, she had undergone many surgeries. In the puppy mill, she was forced to have many litters, had mange skin disease and because she was stuck in a tiny crate, her gait was unstable. She had never had the opportunity to play or do fun dog things that all family pets should have.
We adopted her and named her Angel.
After having spent 6 months at the shelter, the officers and staff at the OSPCA were overjoyed when Angel left with us, in her new bright pink collar and toward a loving life. We were told by the SPCA that Angel might not do ‘dog things’ like we were used to. She may just lay on her bed. We were fine with that. It was all about giving her the best life for her remaining days and filling her days with love and compassion.
Well, it took only a couple of days for Angel to become comfortable in the household, mastering the stairs, loving lying on the couch, sleeping on our bed and going for walks. Our beautiful Angel had a wonderful 5 more years of her life with us and her other dog sisters and brothers. Her life was filled with all the love in the world and Angel gave that back to us a million times.”