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Meet Mr. Murphy-Lee! He is a German Shepherd who turned one on July 4th, 2020. He is extremely loyal, and his brown eyes will melt your heart. He is SO smart and listens very well. He loves to go on runs and his favorite activity is playing fetch with his ball. When you think of the perfect companion, Murphy-Lee fills every aspect and more. We rescued him when he was 10 months old after his previous owners “threw him away” when they discovered he was broken. Upon his surrender, the abuse and neglect he suffered was very evident. At 10 months old Murphy-Lee weighed 56 pounds being just skin and bones. He was starved of his food and was extremely malnourished. In addition, he was roughly 30+ pounds underweight. On most days, he was left in a small kennel with no room to move around in. Being playful was a deal breaker and this was an easy solution that has now given him anxiety. His only wish was to please his humans and be loved, but that was too much to ask for. His humans failed him in every way including basics needs to have a good quality of life, something that this puppy well deserved, but never got to experience. We knew this sweet puppy needed extra love and a home he could feel safe in. He needed humans who would not make him suffer and put a stop to his worry.
His humans did not give him the proper vet care that he needed. Because of the condition Murphy was in, we took him to a veterinarian to receive a full check-up. Not only was he malnourished, but he also tested positive for worms. His owners knowingly left it untreated for 6+ months and did not proceed with the second treatment with a follow up exam.
After a handful of consultations with various veterinarians and specialists, it was suspected that Murphy had an ectopic ureter, which later was confirmed with testing. After looking closer, it was also discovered that one of his kidneys and his prostate did not develop. Luckily, the specialists do not believe the kidneys are a concern at this time, but because his prostate did not fully develop, it has also caused a complication in his urinary tract. These congenital abnormalities are a rare combination, and so far, only three places in America have performed the surgery combination he needs to correct his incontinence.
As of today, we have been able to get Murphy the following medical treatments:
-Treatment of worms and is now clear
- Blood tests
-Received proper vaccines
-Started preventive care
-Ultrasound
-CT Scan
With the above procedures being done, we have already spent several thousands of dollars and are needing the community’s help on raising funds that would go towards the cost for surgery. Our next step is to visit the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH for a consultation and additional testing to see which approach will be the best for fixing these abnormalities. Surgery would then follow the day after.
To help with his incontinence we purchased belly bands to keep him comfortable and so that he can come inside. We take Murphy to the park every day to have play time, which is his absolute favorite. He has “spa-time” several days a week and gets a bath with a good brushing after. We are seeing an improvement in his weight gain; however, he still has a long way to go. And the best part, he does not have to be in a kennel anymore.
When we learned that he had an ectopic ureter, we thought long and hard about our options, but many questions ran through my head, like what will happen to him if we cannot keep him? Would anyone take on this responsibility to fix him and give him the life that his sweet soul deserves? Would he be euthanized because his condition is an inconvenience? Would he continue to suffer through a life of abuse? I felt strongly that I could not let any of these happen to him and that is when we decided we wanted to try all we can to fix his ectopic ureter. However, it seemed like our hope continued to dwindle as additional abnormalities were discovered.
His humans did not give him the proper vet care that he needed. Because of the condition Murphy was in, we took him to a veterinarian to receive a full check-up. Not only was he malnourished, but he also tested positive for worms. His owners knowingly left it untreated for 6+ months and did not proceed with the second treatment with a follow up exam.
After a handful of consultations with various veterinarians and specialists, it was suspected that Murphy had an ectopic ureter, which later was confirmed with testing. After looking closer, it was also discovered that one of his kidneys and his prostate did not develop. Luckily, the specialists do not believe the kidneys are a concern at this time, but because his prostate did not fully develop, it has also caused a complication in his urinary tract. These congenital abnormalities are a rare combination, and so far, only three places in America have performed the surgery combination he needs to correct his incontinence.
As of today, we have been able to get Murphy the following medical treatments:-Treatment of worms and is now clear
- Blood tests
-Received proper vaccines
-Started preventive care
-Ultrasound
-CT Scan
With the above procedures being done, we have already spent several thousands of dollars and are needing the community’s help on raising funds that would go towards the cost for surgery. Our next step is to visit the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH for a consultation and additional testing to see which approach will be the best for fixing these abnormalities. Surgery would then follow the day after.
To help with his incontinence we purchased belly bands to keep him comfortable and so that he can come inside. We take Murphy to the park every day to have play time, which is his absolute favorite. He has “spa-time” several days a week and gets a bath with a good brushing after. We are seeing an improvement in his weight gain; however, he still has a long way to go. And the best part, he does not have to be in a kennel anymore.
When we learned that he had an ectopic ureter, we thought long and hard about our options, but many questions ran through my head, like what will happen to him if we cannot keep him? Would anyone take on this responsibility to fix him and give him the life that his sweet soul deserves? Would he be euthanized because his condition is an inconvenience? Would he continue to suffer through a life of abuse? I felt strongly that I could not let any of these happen to him and that is when we decided we wanted to try all we can to fix his ectopic ureter. However, it seemed like our hope continued to dwindle as additional abnormalities were discovered.
We are seeking help by asking for donations from our family, friends, and community. Being able to continue with surgery would mean the world to us but cannot do so without the help of funding. We are extremely grateful and appreciative for any donations we receive. If you cannot donate, please help us share this to get the word out for our beautiful fur baby. Murphy-Lee is the perfect companion and we love him so dearly. He truly is one in a million with his unique personality, and we do not want to be the next humans who fail him. We will continue to remain hopeful for his situation and we thank everyone for their support.
Shannon and Madison
Shannon and Madison