Murphy’s purpose
By Lulu Hart
Murphy has so many wonderful qualities. He’s everything you want and hope for in a dog. He’s a happy, loving, social guy. He has impeccable manners and loves to go for walks, and if he hears the word “play,” his ears instantly perk up and he’s up on his paws ready to go. He’s house trained and obedient.
So when you read his story, you will be confused. How does a Murphy end up abandoned? Why must he endure such pain? Why would it be necessary to put a shock collar on such a great dog? Here’s Murphy’s story.
An emaciated lab mix was found by the LaVerkin Animal Control entangled in barbed wire. This dog was in extreme pain, had severe injuries, and was lame. Animal Control carefully cut the barbed wire off him, removed the E/Shock collar from his neck, and took him to the LaVerkin Animal Shelter where he was scanned for a microchip. He didn’t have one. They looked through the records for a reported missing dog matching the dog’s description. There weren’t any.
That same night at approximately 8 p.m. Providing Animals with Support received a call from Cathy Buschman, a LaVerkin animal control officer, asking for help as she felt the dog’s condition was deteriorating and he might not make it.
PAWS volunteer Sarah Christensen immediately picked the dog up, called the vet in Cedar City, and headed up north to meet Dr. Norton. The 40-minute drive seemed endless.
We knew he was in shock. Even in his sad condition, you could tell he was a beauty, and we sensed he was a gentle soul. We needed a name to call him until his humans showed up, a strong, perky name. Christensen said that “Murphy” seemed perfect, and he had a temporary name.
Murphy was on a legal stray hold for five days. The volunteers and vet would do everything they could to keep Murphy alive and comfortable, and everyone would wait for his owner to call to claim him. That call never came.
Murphy’s wounds were deep and infected. Where the barbed wire was wrapped around his leg, it had cut down through the cartilage and tendons to the bone. He had deep wounds under his chin where he had clearly been trying for sometime to free himself from the wire. There were wounds in his mouth from trying to chew the barbed wire off, and his underbelly was bloody and bruised and had open wounds.
Murphy was dehydrated, his blood levels were very bad, he didn’t have enough blood to even consider any kind of surgery, and his wounds were infected. The task of controlling his pain, cleaning his wounds, getting fluids into him, and monitoring him began. His blood pressure was extremely low. His wounds were cleaned and monitored around the clock, and we all waited. Day three was no better then day one. Day four was no better. Day five came, and a decision had to be made. In order for Murphy to survive, he would have to undergo surgery for a rear leg amputation, but his blood pressure was still low, and he had very little blood to undergo the surgery. Cautious optimism was the theme.
So the dog who had already stolen so many hearts was readied for surgery. But his body was in rough shape, and during the surgery it gave up.
It took five minutes of CPR from a determined vet and two vet techs to bring Murphy back to life.
Incredibly, Murphy’s life turned around. Within 24 hours, he was up on his feet. With the damaged and infected leg removed, Murphy began the true healing process. He was more comfortable and started to regain his strength. Soon enough, it was time to leave Cedar City Animal Hospital.
We don’t know how long Murphy had been out alone in a rural area entangled in barbed wire, how long he’d been without food or water, why anyone would put a E/Shock Collar on him, or if the barbed wire was wrapped around his leg by a human or not. We do know that he endured. He had the spirit and the heart to keep going.
Murphy’s healing process still had a ways to go. We needed to keep his wounds infection free, start putting weight on his body. and make sure he knew he was safe and loved.
Enter the PAWS dog room volunteers. Murphy was walked multiple times a day for short walks that he insisted get longer and longer and given multiple small feedings a day, cleaning, and love. Murphy had been let down in the past, but the LaVerkin Animal Control, Dr. Norton, his staff, and the PAWS volunteers would do everything possible to ensure that he would never be let down again.
When Murphy was found, he was only 50 pounds. He’s slowly been putting weight on by eating a quality food and salmon oil to help his dry skin. His fur is now looking shiny and sleek, and his skin is soft.
When he was taken out for walks, he walked like he had a purpose, as though he had somewhere to go. Having only three legs meant nothing to Murphy. He was always sure-footed and ready to go. He didn’t ever appear to be looking for a family he lost. He didn’t look back. He was always looking forward. When walked and returned to PAWS, he would always easily and happily go to his kennel.
PAWS waited for weeks for any sign of Murphy’s past, a human to show up, or a phone call asking about him. And nothing. So the time was coming when they would prepare him for adoption. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind what a great addition he was going to make to the perfect family.
Murphy’s picture and story had been posted for a month. The PAWS community had rallied to support him in his recovery and help with his medical fund. People would inquire about his health, asking “How’s Murphy doing?” And we knew it was finally time to find him his new family, a home where he would be safe, secure, and loved.
And then the phone rang. The voice on the phone was a kind one. I could hear a little pain in the words when the lady asked “Is Murphy still available?” The conversation of Murphy began, and when I asked if the caller knew Murphy’s story, the caller said “no,” and his story was told. I didn’t know at the time of the call that the caller had already submitted an adoption application for Murphy, and I told her “If you are interested you will need to submit an application to meet Murphy,” only to hear, “I did and I’m leaving now to come meet him.”
Again, cautious optimism was felt. The caller listened to Murphy’s story, but she too had one. The caller spoke of a beloved black lab named Daisy.
“We got Daisy when she was 4 months. She would have been 13 years this Feb. 1 but fell ill with kidney failure and we sadly had to put her down Dec. 14.” The words were crushing to hear, because I could feel the pain in her voice. We’ve all been there, and there simply aren’t words. There is nothing to say or do that can fix that pain but certainly something the right dog could do.
The potential adopter arrived at PAWS to meet Murphy. He bounded out to greet her and immediately showed her what a great dog he was. He snarfled about her and went on a walk with her. He was falling for a human, and by the look in her eyes, she was falling for Murphy! There was still an application that need processing and a home check, and the rest of the family would need to meet Murphy.
Twenty-four hours later and all due diligence done, an anxious, happy family was waiting to meet the boy who steals hearts, a dog who had endured so much, lost a leg, overcome so many obstacles, deserved as good as he was willing to give, and that is 100 percent. Would this family be the lucky ones? Would this family who had lost their beloved friend and companion let Murphy fill the empty void they felt and love them? The answer is yes! They are now one happy, perfect, whole family.
We will never know what was going through Murphy’s mind during the days he endured alone, but we do believe that we know what Murphy’s purpose was. He had hearts to mend, a family to love, and a family to love and cherish him!
PAWS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is able to do the incredible work it does daily, saving animals’ lives and finding them great homes, because all our volunteers know that all animals matter. In 2019, PAWS rescued over 640 dogs and cats. Our volunteers are devoted animal lovers who refuse to give up on our rescues. Whether it is bringing a scared dog or cat out of its shell, helping an abused animal to trust again, helping heal the sick and wounded, working around the clock feeding abandoned kittens and puppies, our team always steps up to the challenge.
To learn more about PAWS, go to dixiepaws.org. If you are interested in joining PAWS, please submit a volunteer application to dixiepaws.org/volunteer. If you would like to donate to our mounting medical fund, go to dixiepaws.org/donate.
Lulu Hart is the animal rescue manager for Providing Animals With Support.
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