Dog had heartbreaking returns to shelter. Then family 9 hours away fell for him
A dog endured three “heartbreaking” returns to a North Carolina shelter — then a family living more than 500 miles away fell for him.
“Kathy and John from New Jersey saw Murphy’s story and immediately fell in love,” the Humane Society of Catawba County wrote June 3 on Facebook. “They assured us they would give him the time, space, and understanding he deserved.”
Then, the family drove halfway to the shelter to finally meet Murphy and bring him to their home — a roughly nine-hour journey in total. After the heartwarming adoption, the “sweet” 7-year-old pup reportedly is “living his best life.”
“He’s busy sniffing his new house, soaking up love, and snoozing happily on his new favorite chair,” the shelter wrote.
Murphy got a fresh start after he first landed at the shelter in August 2023. At the time, he had heartworms and needed to gain weight.
“After treatment, he was adopted quickly, but unfortunately returned over a year later due to them not being able to care for a dog any longer,” Kaitlyn Ewing, director of intake, rescue and foster coordination for the shelter, told McClatchy News via email. “They were older and couldn’t keep up with a dog. It didn’t hinder Murphy’s spirit. He’s aloof, unbothered, lazy and loves attention.”
Murphy, who has been adopted and returned two other times since November, needed his next owner to give him “time to adjust,” the shelter wrote. Then, his online profile caught the eye of the family living near Cape May, New Jersey.
Ewing said the family “decided they had to have him,” leading to the long-awaited adoption.
The humane society is in the Hickory area, a roughly 55-mile drive northwest from Charlotte.
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Dog had heartbreaking returns to shelter. Then family 9 hours away fell for him."
