Great American Family actress Cindy Busby got real about adopting her adorable dog, Suzie, on the set of “When Hope Calls: Brookfield.” Suzie was a staple on the series’ set, which Busby used as an opportunity to advocate for pet adoption passionately, something she has been on a mission to shed light on for a decade.
Cindy Busby Makes Passionate Plea for Pet Adoption
In an April 2026 interview with People magazine, Busby — who joined Great American Family after starring in many Hallmark Channel movies from 2014 to 2024, revealed that 10 years ago, when she first moved to Los Angeles, her passion for pet adoption began. After having friends who were passionate about it and following pet adoption-related social media accounts, Busby started her own mission.
“I just started digging deep as to what was really going on and why this was important. What I ended up finding was kind of eye-opening and heartbreaking, a little bit. I just made it my mission now to share as much as I can,” she expressed to the outlet.
Busby and her husband, Chris Boyd, immediately began fostering dogs, something they still do today, even after adopting Suzie. This only heightened their passion for pet adoption and making sure that all animals find a forever home.
Busby wants to change the misconception that pet adoption stigmatizes rescue animals as mean or bad and suggests they deserve to be in a shelter.
“If you don’t know any different, you’re like, ‘Oh, if this dog was in a rescue or in a shelter, [they] must have done something to get there.’ And the truth is, that’s not always true,” Busby shared.
Busby hopes her story with Suzie will help more people become open to pet adoption because rescuing Suzie changed her life forever.
Suzie The Inspiration
One year after starting to foster dogs, Busby and Boyd adopted Suzie when she was just seven years old. That was over five years ago, and Suzie has been an inspiration to the actress ever since.
“Everywhere she goes, she just makes a friend, and people fall in love with her. And I immediately say, ‘Hey, she’s a rescue, we adopted her when she was 7.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh, she’s so friendly,’” the Great American Family star stated.
Suzie was the first dog that Busby ever owned. Along with adopting Suzie, being life-changing for Busby and her husband, the precious dog had another impact on Busby that she didn’t expect.
It turns out that having Suzie has given Busby a confidence she never knew that she had. Suzie allowed the actress to soften and step into her own in a way she didn’t expect.
“In a lot of ways, it’s brought me a lot of confidence,” she gushed.
The joy and confidence Suzie has brought to her, Busby hopes to bring to others through pet adoption. Busby knows firsthand that rescuing an animal doesn’t just benefit the animal; it also benefits the pet owner.
