Hi,

Just wanted you to know, Murphy and I passed our Delta Socitey Pet Partners
Aptitude/Skills Test. We almost made the complex setting except that I
messed up. Not seriously but I know what I did wrong. Murphy took it all
in stride. He almost enjoyed showing off for everyone. I am so very proud
of him. He is such a great dog, I know he will do great things in the
animal therapy/animal activities area. We are going to finish our paperwork
then start working with Dove Lewis Animal Assisted Therapy group. I'm
looking forward to getting his cape and our photo ID.

Cinder is doing great, too. Still unsure of herself and startles real easy
but starting to come around. I think she likes Ross a lot.

Erin

Hi Golden Bond,

Just wanted to give you an update about Murphy and how he is doing. Ross
has said that he never new so much love could be bound up in one big pile of
red fur. Murphy has made our lives so complete, we are not sure what we
would do without him.

Murphy has passed his intermediate obedience class and is extremely smart
and well behaved. We are currently working on Canine Good Citizen
Certification. I know he will pass with flying colors. He hasn't one mean
bone in his body. I take him to Devon's grade school with me almost every
day when I volunteer and he has become the school dog. Everyone loves to
see him come because he is so soft and friendly. His tongue works one end
and the tail works the other. I need to make sure he stays sitting when
little kids gather around him so he doesn't knock them over with his tail.
He has been the special suprise for a group of early-intervention special
needs students and they couldn't get enough of him and he of them. He has
such a sweet heart for children.

His eyes are doing wonderful. He as some clouding in his left eye, but the
dr. can see through it and says it shouldn't be bothering him. The swelling
is completely gone but he still continues to get his eye drops. Twice a day
right now because we discovered that the drops reduce the deposits he has at
the incision site. He actually likes to get his eye-drops because they are
always followed by a milk-bone. He and the cats and come to an
understanding. They are almost liking him because now they have a pet door.

Thank you so very much for letting us have this huge bundle of love in our
lives. We look forward to updating you again when he gets his CGC and his
Therapy Dog Certification.

Erin

Now that Jessie has been adopted, I thought you might like to hear my happy story. :o)

Let me introduce myself: my name is Murphy and I was rescued by Golden Bond from the Oregon Humane Society, June 5,2001. I am a four year old neutered male Golden who was turned into the Humane Society because I was loosing my eyesight and kept stepping on the young baby in my house. I was totally blind in one eye and 60% blind in the other.

My family brought me to OHS and I was put in a kennel back in the holding area. But because all I could hear was noisy barking and could not see where I was and why there was so much noise, I did not do well. I just shook and was very scared. I am very lucky that OHS has an excellent relationship with Golden Bond Rescue, so Tammy Grover, from intake, called Golden Bond and asked if I could come be with them.

It sure didn't take long before two Golden Bond people showed up to see me. They said, "Wow, what a beautiful boy. Yes, we will take Murphy." OHS gave me all my shots that were required and off we went to a vet for a rabies shot and a quick check of my eyes. Dr. Dan looked deep into my eyes and pronounced that he felt my eye problem was operable because I had cataracts.

So then we were off to my new foster home with Debra and Mike and their dog, Sammie. This was a new experience finding my way around a new house but Sammie was a big help and I did OK.

Then one day I was taken to Dr. Scherlie at NW Veterinary Specialists. He specializes in veterinary ophthalmology and oh boy, what a nice man! He has the nicest smile and kindest eyes. Which of course is important to me! Dr. Scherlie did all sorts of tests on my eyes and he agreed that my eyes were operable. So the appointment was set for July 19. I was ready!

It has now been three weeks since my surgery and what a difference. I lie for hours in the front window and just watch what is going on outside. I can now see when people are going to pet me and my tail just flies. Now when I drop a ball and it rolls away I can run right to it and pick it up instead of trying to smell for it. Sometimes I even throw it in the air and dance around kicking it with my funny little legs!

I am now getting to walk on a harness leash as that won't put pressure on my neck which would impact my retinas. The walks in the park with Sammie are a lot of fun. I know Mike and Kathy are happy that I am more gentle taking treats out of their hands as I can now see where the treat is!

I will go back for a check up in another three weeks with Dr. Scherlie. By then I should be through with all my medication except for the eye drops which will continue the rest of my life. (I sure hope that won't hinder me from being adopted by a nice Golden Bond family.) I still have some of the dissolvable stitches in the corners of my eyes and they tickle me. My right eye still has some inflammation but that was expected because the cataract was so severe.

My life is really super! I never dreamed that I would ever see again. The best thing from all of this is that I can now anticipate all the good things in my life and see the love in the eyes of all my human friends, especially those from Golden Bond Rescue. I love you all for what you are allowing me to become. Thank you, Murphy

Hi, I am back and what an improvement I have gone through!

The last time we spoke I had another appointment in three weeks with Dr. Scherlie. I went to that but I still had swelling and redness in my eye that I was totally blind in. So I had to go in again and guess what? My eye has healed to the point where the redness is gone and I am just about ready to be adopted out to my forever home. But will I ever miss my foster Mom and Dad and my dog friend, Sammie.

Everyone has been so good to me. I went to the Foster Seminar last Sunday at Charlton Kennels on Sauvie Island and just had the best time! There must have been 20 Goldens there and I could see them all and welcome them each one by one.

Life has been really good with Mike, Debra and Sammie but I am looking forward to going to my forever home soon. Bye for now. :o) Murphy

---

Our Mr. Murphy has found his forever home with Erin, Ross and Devon.
They fell in love with him even before they met him and couldn't
wait to be introduced. When they met it just confirmed what they already
knew, they said " We Love him"! Erin is a home-maker and plans on taking Murphy with her everywhere. Eventually they would like him to be a therapy dog for special needs children. Erin has seen the positive impact animals make on individuals with special needs and Murphy should be perfect for that. Luckily Murphy can now see the people and children that he eventually he will get to meet as his eye surgery has literally given him a new outlook on life. We are thrilled that he has a new family so he'll get the opportunity to see and share
his wonderful personality with the world.

Murphy says "Are we there yet??

Hi Carla & Golden Bond Folks, woof!

I just wanted to tell you how things have been going with me now that I have found my forever home.

Ross, Erin and Devon love me very much. I have never been so spoiled in all my life! Every morning when they get up they pet me and give me hugs and I wag my tail as hard as I can and quietly howl "good morning" to them. It really makes me happy when they wake up and we can all spend time together again.

Ross has put in a dog door, but I'm not sure why. They have a perfectly good sliding glass door that if I stand next to it long enough, someone will open for me. That flap thing on the dog door scares me.

I have been to Devon's classroom twice now and it is a lot of fun seeing all the kids and licking their hands. Boy what you can find on the floor of the cafeteria! That is where mom and I help kids with their math. I'm not too sure of the tile floor. I stick close to the walls so I have something to lean on.

Wow, you should see the friends I've met. Across the street from my new forever home are three of the neatest friends a dog could want...Mabel, Hank and Wilbur. They are my size and they share their toys and even Mabel comes over and sits on my front porch to see if I can come out and play. Then there's my cousin Cooper, he's a Springer Spaniel. We love to play fetch together. Yesterday, I met my other cousin, Dust. He is part terrier and part cockapoo. I'm not too sure about him, but we went on a walk together yesterday with Aunt Lori and Mom.

Well, Mom wants to talk to you now, bye.
Love Murphy

10-23-2001

Hi Carla,

We took Murphy to Dr. Schirle and he changed his eye-drops due to the residual swelling and wanting to keep it down. Anyway, we are going to see him again in another month.

Murphy has filled a huge hole in our lives and home that we didn't even know was there. He is always happy to see us.Even in the morning, when none of us wants to get up, he makes us happy to be awake. He is getting up and down the basement stairs just fine and his leg muscles and getting stronger every day. He is almost trying to jump into our vehicles.

I took him to Warrenton yesterday to see my oldest daughter, Shannon and he played with the dog that lives at her house, a chocolate lab named Buddy. They hit it off well. He is such a great traveler. He sleeps or looks out the window.He seem to be happy to simply be with someone. He has learned to sit still to put his harness on or we don't go anywhere. We take the harness off in the house so he knows he is going somewhere when we put it on him.

He and the cats are coming to a mutual understanding. If he doesn't stare them down, they don't growl at him. He wants to play, they want to be left alone. soon, soon....

Well, I wanted you to know how things are going. He starts obedience training on November 2nd. I will keep you informed and let you know when he becomes "certified".

Thanks again,
Erin,Murphy (woof) and Family

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