Tails of new beginnings: Trista’s dog adoption journey

Published on 30 May 2025

Council’s ranger services team are the local frontline service for animal welfare in the Snowy Monaro. When companion animals find themselves without a home to call their own in our region, the rangers are there to step in and keep them safe, comfortable, and to find them their forever family.

Seven animals have been rehomed over the past two weeks thanks to locals who found room in their hearts for a new four-legged friend for life. But we still have three more pups in need of a pal.

Most families that welcome a pet from the pound into their homes have found the decision to be one of the most rewarding and enriching of their lives. In this new series, Council will be telling tails of new beginnings from across the region that show why adoption is an option everyone should consider.

Visit https://qrco.de/4furever to see the deserving animals currently looking for homes, and find out more about adopting an animal from our pound.

Trista and her husband Byron have given Watson and Ned, two local rescue dogs from the Council pound, a new home and a permanent place in their family. So rewarding they’ve already done it twice, Trista has chosen to share her story with our community to encourage more people to adopt their next pet from the pound.

Watson's story...

‘We chose Watson, as it was the perfect time to introduce another dog to the family,’ Trista said.

‘After seeing his cute photo, we knew we had to meet him. After meeting him he was so excited and immediately warmed to us.’

‘This is Watson's house now – he has settled in tremendously. So much so that he hates camping and prefers our bed at home instead. Watson likes to run beside the bike and loves to play fight with his friends. He will play non-stop for hours.’

‘Our most memorable moment with Watson is when we took him to the lake for the first time. There was no fear and he jumped straight in and now loves his frequent visits to the lake. He's definitely a water lover.’

Ned's story...

‘We chose Ned after seeing his picture in the newspaper,’ Trista said.

‘He resembled our former dog a lot, down to the different coloured eyes. We met him and he jumped straight into our car, he was comfortable from the get-go and we knew he was meant to be ours.’

‘Ned likes to think he is a lap dog (not a 26kg dog). He is a needy guy that loves love.’

‘Ned likes to sunbathe, loves to cuddle, and is massively attached to his little brother, he also really enjoys car rides and sticking his head out the window.’

‘Our most memorable moment with Ned is the first day he started to smile at us. Now we are greeted every time we leave the house with the biggest Ned smiles.’

The two-dog life is the good life...

‘Adopting both Watson and Ned has changed our lives for the better.’

‘We are dog-parents who take them everywhere with us and who love them, so much so we had to get a bigger bed for all of us to fit.’

‘Both Watson and Ned are the best of friends and can't be separated. It was wonderful knowing that we made the perfect choice welcoming them both into our home, and how much they love us and each other.’

‘Dog adoption is definitely something I would recommend to anyone thinking of bringing a pet into their world,’ Trista said.

Visit https://qrco.de/4furever to see the deserving animals currently looking for homes, and find out more about adopting an animal from our pound.

All images courtesy of the owner.