WHEN BROOKE WAS first rescued by the NSPCA she had a case of mange so bad that her eyes were swollen shut.

Allianz has been working with the NSPCA to support them in their mission to care for and rehabilitate rescued animals, as well as help as many animals as possible to find loving homes across Ireland.

‘It was probably the worst case of mange I’ve seen in a puppy that young… She was just miserable, the poor little thing’, said Nicola, who is the dog foster coordinator for the NSPCA, and has been working for the organisation for the last 10 years. Brooke was only nine weeks old when she first came in, having been found ‘in a very bad way’ as a stray.

Cara, formerly known as Brooke, when she was rescued

And yet, despite that hardship, once Nicola collected her from the vets, all Brooke wanted to do was cuddle into her for comfort. 

‘It didn’t take her long to realise that humans are nice people’, said Nicola.

After only a few weeks, Brooke was taken in by a loving Gaelgeoir couple from Firhouse, Co Dublin, who changed her name to ‘Cara’ in an homage to the Irish word for ‘friend’.

Speaking about the decision to adopt Cara, Miriam said that the connection was almost instantaneous. 

‘Literally from when she hopped in the car, I just felt that maybe she kind of knew that this was her forever home was nice’, added Miriam.

Cara made an unforgettable first impression on the people who would soon become her humans. 

‘The first time we met Cara, we went up to the NSPCA for a meet-and-greet and she came out and was just a bundle of energy, very happy, very friendly. I think we both knew within five seconds that we wanted to apply and adopt her,’ said Devrin.

The couple spoke about the love they get from Cara, who will greet them every day with both of her paws up and her tail going ‘mental’. The couple agrees that their favourite thing about Cara is the welcome they get whenever they come home.

As for whether they would recommend adopting through the NSPCA, the Devrin was clear: ‘If you’re looking for a dog we would definitely recommend adopting from the NSPCA because there are plenty of dogs out there that are looking for a new home’. 

Visit allianz.ie online today to learn about pet insurance for your own furry friend.