Last year, sisters Laura Chapman and Carla Colbeck were driving to a family reunion when something caught their attention—a small white head poking out of a field.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s a dog!’” Chapman told The Dodo.
A Surprising Discovery
Even though they were on a long road trip, the sisters knew they couldn’t just drive by without investigating. They pulled over and approached the dog. To their surprise, he didn’t shy away or seem frightened.
“It was almost like he was waiting,” Chapman said.
The sisters didn’t hesitate. They carefully lifted the dog into their car and took him straight to a vet. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a microchip, confirming what they feared—he had been abandoned.
A Little TLC Goes a Long Way
The sisters noticed that the dog’s fur was severely matted and dirty. They took him to a groomer, who spent four and a half hours carefully removing the mud and tangles.
“It took her four and a half hours to groom him,” Chapman said.
Once he was pampered, the dog appeared much happier. The sisters even took him along to their family reunion, where he quickly became the center of attention.
New Beginnings for Murphy
After the reunion, Colbeck realized she couldn’t part with him.
“Since the moment I found him, I said to myself, ‘I’m gonna be driving this teddy bear back home, aren’t I?’” Colbeck told The Dodo.
She decided to name him Murphy and embarked on a 23-hour drive back home to Michigan.
When Colbeck introduced Murphy to her other dog and her cat, they weren’t sure what to expect, but the new family member was welcomed with open arms.
Before long, it felt as though Murphy had always been a part of the family.