Murphy is a two-year old lab mix that I adopted when he was four months old. We recently moved to a different state and from a single-family home on an acre to a small apartment with no fenced-in yard. Additionally, my other dog, Bobbi Jo, is turning 15 in a few months and her cognitive dysfunction (a.k.a. doggy dementia) has rapidly gotten worse.

With all of these changes having taken place in a short amount of time, Murphy is having a difficult time adjusting. As a result, he has grown increasingly aggressive towards my senior dog, Bobbi Jo.

I am raising funds to get Murphy the specialized training and behavior modification he urgently needs so that he will be successful with acclimating to our new environment amid all of these changes. He is dealing with severe reactivity, resource guarding, and fear-aggression, and needs specialized training and behavior modification to help him through this challenging time.

I did reach out to a local humane society hoping there might be another option - possibly rehoming him - but they told me they would not be able to rehome him and would only offer behavioral euthanasia. For those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Murphy and getting to know him know he is NOT an aggressive dog. Special? Yes. Sensitive? Yes. Afraid of his own shadow? Most of the time, yes. Murphy is many things, but dangerous is not one of them.

Murphy is a healthy, young dog, and I truly believe he is great and can improve with the right help. The funds from this fundraiser will go directly toward enrolling him in a behavior modification and training program to address his reactivity and fear-aggression and give him the chance he deserves.

I am a single mom, so money is extremely tight right now. However, I understand how urgent this situation is. If you are able to donate, share this fundraiser, or send your virtual support, it would mean so much to me and Murphy. I know I can help Murphy, I just need the help of my community behind me to do it.