Bachelor in Paradise's Astrid and Kevin Wendt Want Everyone to Feel the 'Endless' Love of a Rescue Dog (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Astrid and Kevin Wendt with one of their sons and rescue dogs Bean (left) and Ace.Photo:Courtesy Kevin and Astrid Wendt

Courtesy Kevin and Astrid Wendt

TheBachelor in Paradisecouple, who met on season 5 of the reality show,got engaged in Aug 2019. andmarried in Oct. 2022are the proud parents oftwo sonsand two fur babies — dogs Ace and Bean.

Both pups are rescue dogs that the pair adopted throughBunny’s Buddies, an animal welfare nonprofit dedicated to helping neglected and abandoned dogs find homes.

“We rescue dogs. We started in China. That led to South Korea. So we do a lot of kill shelters, slaughterhouses, and dogs off the street. Dogs that just have no help,” Amanda Jo, the founder of Bunny’s Buddies, tells PEOPLE.

Because Bunny’s Buddies takes in animals who often have an early life riddled with hardships, the nonprofit strives to find pet parents devoted to improving rescue pets' lives.

“We’ve turned down a lot of influencers, celebrities. If their hearts are not in the right place, we don’t want a dog to go to them,” Jo says.

Kevin and Astrid Wendt with their sons Nash (left) and August, and their rescue dogs Bean (left) and Ace.Courtesy Kevin and Astrid Wendt

The founder adds that this was never an issue with Kevin and Astrid. She says the couple has always been clear that they chose pet adoption over buying animals because they’re “really big on just being willing to help.”

“We got her in. She had multiple fractures in both her legs, so she had to have both legs fixed, screws, and plates. She was with us healing for about three months,” Jo says, explaining what happened next.

While Bean healed, Bunny’s Buddies shared the dog’s recovery journey on Instagram, and the social media clip found its way to Kevin and Astrid, who adopted their dog Ace from the nonprofit in 2020.

Astrid, who gave birth tothe couple’s first son, August, in Nov. 2021, recalls telling Kevin, “Let’s sleep on it.”

“I spent about an hour just staring at her and watching the video. I’m like, ‘I’m just going to do it. What’s another four pounds to the family?'” he adds.

Bean the rescue dog during her recovery process.Courtesy Bunny’s Buddies

Courtesy Bunny’s Buddies

Astrid says she was pleased Kevin reached out to Bunny’s Buddies to adopt Bean because she knew the dog needed love.

“You could tell she was just such a sweet pup. And I think that’s the part that’s so heartbreaking. You can tell she was so sweet and just wanted to be loved because she was hurt with her two front broken legs, wobbling towards the person taking the video.” Astrid says.

Bunny’s Buddies approved Astrid and Kevin’s adoption application for Bean, and Kevin flew to Vancouver solo in October 2021 to pick up their new pup and bring her home since Astrid was seven months pregnant at the time.

“Bean flew from Seoul, South Korea, to Vancouver. My parents live on Vancouver Island, so my mom and dad picked her up at the airport. I ended up spending two days at my mom’s. Then I flew back to Vancouver, and Bean just sat on my lap on the flight back to Toronto. It was pretty great,” Kevin says of bringing Bean home.

Bean the rescue dog under the care of Bunny’s Buddies.Courtesy Bunny’s Buddies

When Bean arrived at her forever home, Astrid and Kevin’s lives felt full. According to the couple, it took Bean and Ace about 10 minutes to warm up to each other, and the canines have become great playmates for the pair’s two sons, including Nash, who was born in October 2023.

“Bean was just the perfect little fit,” Astrid says, adding that the tiny pup also sleeps on Kevin’s pillow every night.

“People are scared to rescue when they have kids, but these two dogs are the most gentle little beings with those kids. The dogs are perfect. The kids are insane. They’re so good because I think they realize they’re in a loving home, so they just want to please you. As soon as you give them love, they want to give that love back to you,” she adds.

These days, the Wendt family travels everywhere together, dogs included, and are forever grateful for what pet adoption has added to their lives.

“The love there is endless, and it doesn’t have the same level of frustration that comes with a lot of other things in life. I don’t know how to explain it, but whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, they’re just themselves and love you at all times,” Astrid says of rescue pets.

Kevin feels equally connected to his furry family members.

“I know everyone says their dog loves them so much, but I don’t know what it’s about these two. I feel they’re appreciative that we made an effort to rescue them and that they have such a fun life and a good home,” he says.

Bean the rescue dog.Courtesy Kevin and Astrid Wendt

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“Be focused on rescue as an act of service. You’re going to love the dog no matter what. You’re going to create that bond no matter what. People think that they want or need a certain dog. If you shift the focus to just giving back to an animal that needs you, you don’t have to worry about the rest,” the Bunny’s Buddies founder says.

“Rescue’s never been worse right now. California alone is killing 160,000 dogs a year. We could change that overnight if we just got stories like this out and if people didn’t make it about themselves, as hard as that might be. And look what happens. Kevin and Astrid didn’t think about themselves, and now they can’t imagine their life any other way,” she adds.

source: people.com