Who Is Dog Betty in ‘Will Trent’? Details

Step aside, Sherlock — Will Trent (Ramón Rodrìguez) is Atlanta’s resident detective for a reason. The titular star of ABC’s latest crime procedural Will Trent is known for letting nothing get past him — except his iconic canine companion, Betty, when she stole Will’s heart.

When Season 1 of Will Trent begins, we watch as Will stumbles upon poor Betty who has been tied up alone outside of a dog shelter by some soulless scoundrel. Like many future doting dog dads, Will doesn’t want Betty at first, but he’s kind enough to bring Betty into the shelter so the little lady can have a roof over her head.

Little did Will know that Betty was destined to be the main lady in his life.

The real Betty’s name is actually Bluebell (or Belly, as a nickname). Of course, in the pilot episode of Will Trent, the dog shelter wouldn’t have enough room to take Betty in, making her destined to become the furry Watson to Will’s Sherlock, stealing hearts and cuddles wherever she goes.

As series star Ramón Rodrìguez noted during a TCA press conference (via LaughingPlace), “One of the brilliant things in the pilot that was a great way to introduce a character, which they did brilliantly, is to have this scene with the chihuahua where we see [Will] adopt Betty.”

Ramón added that Will’s decision to ultimately adopt a dog he didn’t want revealed a great deal about his character: “There was a lot of characteristics about the guy and his code, his moral compass, his empathy, his heart.”

The ABC series is based off a series of bestselling novels by author Karin Slaughter, which begs the question: Is Betty a book character come to life, or was she added solely for the television adaptation?

Turns out Betty is a character in the original Will Trent novels, as dedicated and loyal to Will on the page as she is onscreen.

Are we even surprised that Bluebell already has acting credits to her name, long before she stole the show in Will Trent? She actually played Wink in the 2021 Cruella film. (No wonder Bluebell is so comfortable on camera; she’s already had Emma Stone as a co-star!)

Another fun fact about Bluebell? She actually hails from across the pond! That’s right — Bluebell is a British beauty, able to switch into different characters for whatever show or film she’s in.

Now that’s what we call a star. Catch Bluebell alongside Ramón Rodrìguez in new episodes of Will Trent, every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.