R.I.P. Murphy (dog)

PostedDate

2/21/2006 7:05:00 PM

Body

So today I had to say goodbye to my all time favorite canine in the world. We knew it was going to happen sometime soon but it is still very sad. I woke up this morning earlier than I was planning and was lying there for a bit until my mom came in looking distressed. She told me that Murph fell trying to get up the porch stairs and was lying at the bottom. She theorized that he might have broken a leg. We decided that this meant the end for him (with the diabeties, the stroke, and just old age) and started wondering how we would get him to the car. Then Murphy got up and struggled up the stairs on his own. He was obviously in a lot of pain. Gradually, he made it into the house. He was trying so hard to be a good dog all the way to the end.  Knowing that it would be hard to take him somewhere because he was so big AND crippled, my mom called a vet to come euthanize him. All this time I was hoping that when Murph's time came, he would be more distinctly wanting to die. Instead he lay there wagging his tail in his usual good natured manner. He followed sounds with his blind eyes as if he could see in the alert way he always has. I was hoping that when the time came, I would be so certain- but I wasn't. I decided to go to school/work even though I was really REALLY sad. I said my last goodbyes to Murphy and sobbed the whole way to school (not so much that I wasn't driving carefully). Truthfully, I was hoping that when the vet came to my house that afternoon, he/she would look at Murph and tell my mom that there is a another solution that doesn't cost much. At about 2:15 this afternoon, I got a call on my cell phone (I was hanging out with Danny and a random-ish classmate instead of going to class) telling me that he was euthanized and that he went peacefully. I wouldn't say my hopes of him living were crushed because I didn't actually believe it would happen. Murph was a great dog. He was one of those kinds of dogs that would just love walking and standing next to you. He would be very happy when I would sit with him on the floor and loved to play even in his weaker times. He was such great company. He was a wonderful dog and a great friend. I'm going to miss my Muffin terribly. ~Julia~