Pruppet of the Month: Cara

Do you wanna know what I love more than almost anything else? A working pruppet. I love the support pruppets. I love the therapy pruppets. I love the guide pruppets, the search pruppets, all of them. Maybe it’s the vest thing. If a pruppet gets a vest? I’m all in. Today I want to tell you about Cara, who was a hard-working pruppet. Our listenerMeredyth submitted Cara’s story and warned that this will be an 11 out of 10 for sad. So, I’m putting that right up at the top here, folks. Brace yourselves.

 So, Meredyth met Cara when she was at work. Meredyth is actually a public defender and Cara was a bomb detection pruppet working at the courthouse in Meredyth’s district. Right away Meredyth noticed that Cara was THE TALK of the courthouse. She followed her handler, Ryan, like a shadow. She was so well behaved, Cara was barely ever on a leash and she’d usually just lie silently in the courtroom during cases being heard. If there was a break, that’s when she went on tour, getting all of the pets and treats she could get. So many treats in fact, that Ryan had to limit treats to ONLY on Fridays. Which honestly reminds me of another office pruppet who cons us all out of snacks… whose name starts with a Ch and ends with an arlie…

Again, Cara was BELOVED and for her second birthday, someone even made her a pruppet approved cake. It was in the shape of a cartoon-style bomb because, you know, that was her job. Meredyth loved going to the courthouse to see Cara and see how good she was at her job, and how truly devoted she was to her handler Ryan.

I also want to point out that Cara actually got her name because of her demeanor! She was sweet Caroline, but it got shortened to Cara! ugh. so cute.

Ok, we’re at the sad part everyone. Pull over, have your tissues ready, don’t go into work yet.

One night, Cara and Ryan were working and trying to find a weapon that a suspect they had been trying to apprehend tossed. During the search for the weapon, Cara fell from a 50-foot bridge and was severely injured, with a broken back among other injuries. Ryan made the incredibly difficult decision to have Cara move out, instead of suffer.

Cara’s end of watch was December 21st, 2020. The whole court community was devastated by the loss of Cara, even Meredyth. She wrote in about Cara and said, “As a public defender, I shouldn’t have liked her. But there’s no way anyone could have hated Cara.” There are actually a few news articles about Cara and her impact, including one covering the memorial service held for Cara back in January. These articles are linked below:

• Officer Down page for Cara
• Coverage of Cara’s death
• Cara’s obituary
• Cara Memorial Service

Augusta Regional SPCA

So, deep breath, I’m so sorry if I made you cry or made you late for work. I do want to bring some attention to a rescue organization that serves in the area that Cara served, the Augusta Regional SPCA, which also has an amazing program called Pets for Seniors offering discounted adoption rates for senior citizens to adopt their new furry best friend.