December 1, 1993 - November 14, 2005

This is Murphy, he was abandoned by a family in Fort Myers, Florida.
They moved out of state and left him behind. Another family
found him roaming I75 highway near Fort Myers and took him home.

They contacted the Director at the Florida Dog Guides for the Deaf
in Bradenton, Florida, where I lived at the time. Murphy came to me
through the Florida Dog Guides for the Deaf program a month later,
he was only 16 months old.

For a dog abandoned he was so sweet, funny and very intelligent.
Murphy and I went through all our training and he received his
guide dog certification. We have been together for 10 1/2 years.

He was born December 1, 1993 and he died on November 14, 2005.
Together he and I have been on the nightly TV news,  just a short time
after we started our training. We were doing a part to show what the
Florida Dog Guides program does with dogs to help the deaf. (I am deaf)

I still have the video tape. It's just exciting to watch my local newscaster
say Murphy's name on the 5'o clock news. Murphy did a lot of demonstrations
to children in schools, church luncheon's, parades, and we won the
JC Penny's Golden Rule Award 1st place for our volunteer work that we did for The Florida Dog Guides for the Deaf.
We gave the $1,000 we won with the award back to the same program
that trained him, so that some other deaf person might receive
a trained dog without cost to them.

Murphy stayed with me all those years, by my side alerting me to sounds
that I couldn't hear. He was a wonderful dog. My entire family and
close friends all loved him as he loved them.

I don't know why he died as he did. He looked like he was sleeping
and I hope he went peacefully. I feel this HUGE empty space inside my heart
and the house seems so empty without him here with me.

There's so much more I could say about Murphy.....
He loved the beaches here in St.Augustine. It's hard to think that he's gone.
I knew his time was coming but I just felt like he would be with me forever,
I guess in a way he will...in my heart and my memories.

Amanda