Big Love: Gentle Giant Finds Home with a Big-Hearted Couple

As the pandemic wound down in 2023, lifelong dog lovers Eric C. and Rachael R. moved to a pet-friendly apartment in Brooklyn, New York, with outdoor space and no size or breed restrictions. They then began their search for a dog to adopt.

In spring 2024, the couple prepared to adopt a St. Bernard-mix from a shelter in Massachusetts. But on the day the dog was scheduled to be transported to New York, his foster caregiver decided to adopt him.

“We had already purchased dog bowls and other supplies and were kind of mourning the loss of this dog we thought would be ours,” says Eric.

In January 2025, Eric and Rachael hit the pavement. “Instead of going online, we visited local adoption events and facilities in person, ready and willing to take a dog home that day,” Eric says. “We wanted a male, large-breed puppy, and the ASPCA was our last stop.”

Staff at the ASPCA Adoption Center suggested Eric and Rachael meet Cabrera, a 3-year-old female Great Dane/Mastiff-mix, whose size was the only criterion that fit the bill.

“We didn’t think she was the dog for us at first, but we took her for a walk, spent an afternoon with her, and fell in love,” Eric says. “By 4 p.m., we were headed home with her in our car. She slept on my lap in the back seat.”

Medically Challenged; Behaviorally Sound

Cabrera weighed just 74 pounds when she was discovered tied to a post in Brooklyn on October 16, 2024. She was taken to Animal Care Centers of NYC’s Queens shelter and transported days later to the ASPCA as part of an abandonment case being investigated by the NYPD.

Upon intake, Cabrera was underweight and suffered from pressure sores, among other painful conditions.

“Cabrera was very underweight and you could see all of her bones,” says ASPCA forensic veterinarian Dr. Laura Niestat. “She was basically a walking skeleton and had a body condition score of 1 to 2 on the Purina Body Condition System scale, with 1 out of 9 being an emaciated score.”

Cabrera was placed on a refeeding diet — a slow but steady reintroduction of nutrition to allow her gastrointestinal tract time to adjust to a proper diet. She suffered from painful medical conditions such as a skin infection, ear infection and multiple ulcerated wounds — pressure sores — on her feet, wrists, and hips. Her coat was thin and dirty, and she had a respiratory infection.

“We treated her for everything, including gastrointestinal parasites and anemia, which is common with emaciation,” says Dr. Karla Kovach, director of veterinary services at the ASPCA Animal Recovery Center, where Cabrera was housed. “And we removed a fractured tooth and vaccinated and spayed her.”

Before being transferred to the ASPCA Adoption Center on December 11, Cabrera had gained 15 pounds.

“Behaviorally, Cabrera is a solid dog,” says Jonathan Aguero, an ASPCA Animal Recovery Center behavior specialist. “We tested her with other dogs and in play groups, and she always did well.”

Cabrera was co-housed with another dog to help quell that dog’s anxiety; her ability to help other dogs relax convinced Rachael that she was the dog for them.

A Gentle Giant

Her Mastiff-type looks and large frame can be intimidating, but Cabrera is gentle and affectionate.

“She meets other dogs where they are, letting them sniff and wrestle with her,” says Eric. “She’s playful and even lets smaller dogs hang off her jowls. She’s got puppy energy and is good with kids, even if their loud laughter makes her bark. She loves to be part of the action.”

Extremely food-motivated, every evening after eating dinner at 6 p.m., Cabrera will stare at her bag of treats until she receives one at 8 p.m. Her love of food makes her easy to train.

Cabrera, now called Marla Hooch, a character from the iconic ’90s film “A League of Their Own,” is somewhat of a celebrity in her high-foot-traffic neighborhood teeming with dogs. Her days start at the Pier 6 Dog Run at Brooklyn Bridge Park or the Willowtown Dog Run in Brooklyn Heights. Eric and Rachael have hybrid schedules and work from home routinely, so Marla is rarely alone.

“She’s such a great addition to our family, our first dog as a married couple,” Eric says. “We both had dogs in our homes when we were children, and Marla is the piece we were missing. 

“I’ve told many people to visit the ASPCA, since we had such a good experience,” Eric adds. “We could tell how well cared for Marla was, and being there in person made all the difference. We can’t imagine having a different dog.”