Murphy is a nervous dog.
I know he looks relaxed here, but that's not always the case.
He doesn't feel comfortable in new situations.
And since he is fear-aggressive,
this can be problematic.
Every year there is a fundraiser, The Doggie Dash,
for one of my favorite local shelters,
The Oregon Humane Society.
I have gone for years and Murphy has joined me since his adoption...3 years now.
Each year has been a different experience.
Year one, he was nervous, but still just a young pup trying to figure out the world.
Year two...very nervous. He was a teenager feeling his oats and unsure of all of these strange dogs.
And now, year three...still nervous, but there was a big difference.
His sweet friend, IO was there with him.
As soon as they saw each other, both of them knew it was going to be a fun morning.
In IO fashion, she danced around Murphy greeting him with exuberance.
All wiggles, leaps, and jumps!
Murphy just soaks in all of the love with a HUGE smile on his doggy face.
She gives him confidence to face all of the strangers, human and canine.
You see, IO owes a lot to OHS. She was a Second-Chance dog.
IO was at another shelter and wasn't being adopted, instead of putting her down,
The Oregon Humane Society took her in.
Man, are we thankful!
Not only did OHS give her a 2nd Chance,
but Kathy our neighbor adopted her so that Murphy could have a furry best friend.
How lucky is that?!
This was a beautiful morning.
Not just because Murphy was super happy and friendly with everyone,
but because all of the people who were there loving dogs and raising money.
Portland, Oregon is such a special place.
I'm so thankful to live somewhere that views animals as family members, not just pets.
For one morning, we celebrated our love of animals and supporting local charities.
And together we dashed celebrating that The Oregon Humane Society saved IO's life.
All is well in the world...even just for a moment.
Let's all just bask in the love.
Happy Mother's Day to all...whether your "kids" have two or four legs!
