The Carr family’s beautiful five-year-old border collie Luna.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Mention you have a border collie named Luna, and you might think you’ve picked something sweet, simple and a little bit different.
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Turns out, you are in very good company.
For the fourth year running, Luna has officially reigned supreme as Australia’s most popular dog name, according to annual pet insurance data from Compare the Market.
But for local dog owner Jacqui Carr, the celestial-winning moniker had nothing to do with national trends — it came down to a simple compromise between two people who couldn’t quite agree.
"My partner and I — husband and wife now — we just both ended up on the name," she said.
“We used an app where you swipe for names that you do and don’t like. We both had that one as a common name, so we just decided on that."
Far from tracking data trends, the decision coincided with welcoming the border collie into the family five years ago — after spotting a litter advertised by a friend’s relative down in Lake Entrance.
Luna, Jacqui and Poppy Carr — Poppy being the most enthusiastic of the three.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Asked to describe her, and the answer is immediate: “Very fluffy, loves being around people, loves pats. As most border collies are.”
When she isn’t chasing balls, swimming, or hanging out by the river and the park, Luna is embracing a new household dynamic.
The family recently welcomed a little girl, now 10 months old.
While little Poppy is completely smitten and keen to be by Luna's side at every opportunity, the dog is still finding her feet with the newest family member.
“Poppy absolutely loves Luna and wants to be close to her all the time, but Luna's a little bit scared of her, so she keeps her distance a bit,” Jacqui laughed.
“Luna’s really good with toddlers, though. She loves running around after them and throwing the ball. So I’m sure very soon they’ll be the best of friends.”
While Jacqui’s Luna might still be waiting to bump into a fellow Luna at the dog park, her story is a reminder that sometimes the most popular choices are popular for very good reason.
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