My husband and I are dog lovers and have played with the idea of having our own for years. We both have stressful jobs in the city and have moved internationally for years so we never found the right time to commit to caring for a dog.

When we moved into our flat in south London last spring we found that it would be the perfect place for a furry family addition and we started thinking about how we could make this work. We researched local dog walking services and found with both of us being able to work flexibly all we needed to do is make the leap of faith and find the right little puppy for us.

We both liked the idea of adopting a rescue dog and already visited a few London based shelters unsuccessfully. I found our little Nova online through another rescue organisation that came recommended. It was a Saturday morning and we were both still in bed, I was browsing the puppies and immediately fell in love with her little face. I didn’t say anything and just asked my husband to take a look at the pups as well. When he turned around with Nova on the screen we both knew she was the one.

It turned out that the other organisation put a stop on new adoptions and I was desperate, so I tried to find her through other rescue Centers. Nova came up on the SPDC website and the lovely team came back to us immediately. Nova had already been chosen by another family and again our hopes were crushed. A couple of days later though we received life-changing news: Nova is available and ready for adoption if we still wanted her. We said yes immediately.

A good 6 weeks and some dog proofing of our lives later, little Nova arrived in London, skinny, tired and scared, but she immediately took to me and I learnt early that she would do anything for a treat.

It took her all of five minutes to come to me for a nice cuddle and she took over our sofa immediately and hasn’t left it since. Nova is an absolute delight, she is very smart and eager to get out to explore. She is very loving and just needs to be in contact with one of us constantly, wherever we are, she is - preferably rolled up in between us on the couch after a good run in the park. Nova loves to run and we take her out to her favourite park every morning, where she is obsessed hunting squirrels, fetching the ball and playing with or chasing other dogs.

She has such a good temper and is well-loved by all dogs and humans alike. She has been very shy with men from day one and wouldn’t let anyone near her, but she has been getting better. Every weekday she is being picked up by our lovely dog walkers and spends the afternoons running and playing with her four-legged pack friends, tired and ready to cuddle when we come home after work. We take Nova everywhere, she has learnt to navigate London buses, trains and the tube and is the happiest when she can go explore with us.

Nova has enriched our lives is so many ways, she is our little bundle of joy and we cannot think of a life without her anymore. We are very grateful to the team at SPDC and their network of volunteers who took Nova in and helped her find her new home with us. It was meant for us to be together.