By Jarissa Aquinde, Positively Woof Rescue and Adoption Story Editor
Hi, my name is Murphy! I am a Korean Mastiff / Boxer mix. My pawrents, Jason and Christy Culligan, adopted me on July 23, 2016 from the San Diego Humane Society. It was Clear the Shelters Day, otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have been an option to adopt yet. You see, I was extremely shy!! My pawrents couldn’t even touch me yet because I was too scared. I had been rescued by the International Humane Society in March 2016 from a Korean meat market.
I was still in isolation because I need socialization, as I had very little interaction with other dogs before being rescued. My pawrents waited in a quiet area and squatted down while one of the SDHS people gently herded me into the large kennels area to meet them. I was scared, apprehensive, and had my tail down. I didn’t know what to expect. As I walked in, I looked at them with my head lowered because I was so terrified. All of the sudden, I did something totally unexpected; I walked up to my mama and put my big nose right on her lips, waited for a second or two and then she kissed me. It was love at first sight!! My pawrents looked at each other and said “This is him. He’s ours!”
I was so untrained and still so scared that SDHS staff had to literally carry me out to my new pawrents’ car. The shelter had named me ‘Tony’, but my pawrents didn’t think the name fit me. As we were headed to my new home, they were throwing names back and forth, trying to figure out what fit me. My mama said “What about Murphy?” to my forever dad and then asked me what I thought. I perked up right away…I liked that name! So, it was decided – my new name was Murphy Culligan.
When we got to my forever home, I got to meet my new furry sisters, Tilly Boo, a 16 year old Pug mix and Sally Bean, a 10 year old Chihuahua mix. I love my sisters and they love me!! My pawrents have worked really hard helping me to adjust and I am doing AMAZING!! I now LOVE people!! I greet everyone who comes to our house with great jubilation!! My pawrents also call me the “wrecking ball,” because I run through the house enthusiastically, running into things, knocking stuff down and just, well, being a wrecking ball!!
When we got to my forever home, I got to meet my new furry sisters, Tilly Boo, a 16 year old Pug mix and Sally Bean, a 10 year old Chihuahua mix. I love my sisters and they love me!! My pawrents have worked really hard helping me to adjust and I am doing AMAZING!! I now LOVE people!! I greet everyone who comes to our house with great jubilation!! My pawrents also call me the “wrecking ball,” because I run through the house enthusiastically, running into things, knocking stuff down and just, well, being a wrecking ball!!I am so very loved and I am one of the lucky ones who escaped the dog meat trade. I still have to work on leash training and riding in cars, but with the love and support of my forever family, I know that I will get there!! My mama started my Instagram page (@murphy_mastiff.boxer.mx_rescue) to raise awareness for meat market dogs like me and for rescue in general. My pawrents believe strongly in “Adopt, don’t shop!” I am one lucky, very loved, big lug of a dog!!
Follow marvelous Murphy on Instagram @murphy_mastiff.boxer.mx_rescue
