Help Murphee Recover After a Devastating Moose Attack in Park City

Meet Murphee. He is our 4-year-old Goldendoodle, a loving and energetic member of our family who loves hiking the trails around Park City with us and his sister, Charlee.

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, what started as a beautiful hike on Rob's Trail in Park City turned into a terrifying encounter with a moose and her calf that left both my wife and Murphee seriously injured.

My wife was hiking with Murphee and Charlee, both on leash, when they encountered a moose and her calf sitting in the middle of the trail. She stopped and remained still, but unfortunately, the moose got up and charged.

My wife was seriously injured during the attack. She suffered multiple broken ribs, a punctured lung, multiple lacerations, and a deep wound to her thigh that required reconstruction and approximately 30 stitches. She remains hospitalized at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City and is continuing to recover from her injuries.

But the attack didn't end there.

After my wife was injured, Murphee stayed with her. When the moose charged again and again, Murphee went toward the moose. During the encounter, his front leg was broken.

The moose charged six times.

Thankfully, Charlee escaped without injury. Fortunately, there were other hikers on the trail who came to my wife's assistance and helped her make her way down the trail.

An ambulance transported my wife to University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, where she continues to receive treatment.

Murphee was transported separately by a local police officer to Frontier Veterinary Care and then to MedVet in Salt Lake City, where he received emergency surgery for his injuries.

Murphee's road to recovery

Murphee suffered a severe fracture to his front leg and required surgery involving a plate and seven screws, along with treatment for his lacerations.

His veterinary bill has already reached $9,400, and he will need additional follow-up care, medications, X-rays, and recovery treatment.

We have set an initial fundraising goal of $12,000 to help cover Murphee's current veterinary expenses and the additional care he will need during his recovery.

Why we're asking for help

We want to make one thing very clear:

We are not asking for donations toward my wife's medical care. She has medical insurance, and we are fortunate to have that coverage.

Our fundraiser is specifically for Murphee's veterinary care.

Murphee is only four years old. He is a huge part of our family, and we want to give him every opportunity to get back to the happy, active dog you see in these photographs.

The road ahead will take time, but our hope is to see Murphee back on four legs—running, playing, hiking, and enjoying life again.

We are incredibly grateful to the hikers who stopped to help my wife, the first responders, the local police officer who transported Murphee, local residents, the medical team caring for my wife at University of Utah Hospital, and the veterinary team at MedVet caring for Murphee.

If you are able to donate, any amount would mean so much to our family.

And if you aren't in a position to donate, please consider sharing Murphee's story. A share can reach someone who may be able to help.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for caring about Murphee, and for helping us get him through this difficult time.

❤️ Thank you from Murphee, Charlee, and our family.