The four of us left England back at the start of our grand adventure. My wife and I, plus our two Labrador Retrievers who we adored.
We moved around the world, becoming closer because of this, with only each other for day-to-day support. My wife became my rock and my dogs became my closest buddies.
They were my reminder of home, of England, and they were everything to me.
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| Lake Louise, Alberta |
Old Man Murph. My Murtlad. My little boy.
Murphy was not even three years old when we left England and Milo was under 18 months. Over time, they grew to become brothers and the best of friends. We loved them dearly and were fiercely protective of them on our travels even though they flourished in their new Canadian and Australian homes.
Australia would be the final leg of our adventure. We couldn’t face moving them again and had agreed that they should see out the rest of their lives Down Under. Travelling to Australia would be the hardest part. They would have to endure more than twenty hours on a plane from Vancouver including pre-flight check-ins plus a 2-hour stopover – and all this after they had already travelled internally from Ottawa to Vancouver. They would enter quarantine upon arrival in Oz and would face six weeks of isolation, but it wasn’t all bad.
The life waiting for them was to be filled with watery adventures, they would never again suffer the cold and damp of previous environments, and we would spoil them rotten as they grew old under the Australian sun.
Miss you, Murph.
Pursuing a better life can have many positives and highs in the form of exciting new experiences and adventures that would never normally be enjoyed. However, I had neither considered nor prepared myself for the anguish of losing one of us on this amazing journey of ours, of losing Murphy so soon after arriving in Australia.
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| Milo, Murphy and Me – Northern Beaches, Sydney |
To this day, I’m not sure what happened. It was too much fatty food. It was an ingestion of strong steroids. It was a weak immune system. It was possibly pancreatitis. It just ‘happened’ and, even now, I’m at a loss to explain it. He was taken so suddenly with no warning or notice. We were unable to save our pup, our friend, our companion.
I remember feeling cheated. He was supposed to stay a part of this adventure with us. He was only five years old. We had got him so far. He had done the ‘hard yards’ but had barely experienced this unique country. He was Milo’s partner and now our remaining dog would be alone in Australia with years of living still ahead of him.
It sounds like a cliche but Murphy was more than just a dog.
He was a huge part of our lives and of our team, that close-knit unit which had gone through so much, travelled so far, and seen so many wonderful things together. Things were never quite the same after that. The gloss on our new life Down Under faded slightly as we mourned for Murph and constantly tried to entertain and pre-occupy Milo. We pined for our boy and missed him desperately.
Three years on and I still miss him dearly. I’m lonely without my pal and I think about him all the time – about his goofy chocolate lab nature, the endless games I used to make-up and play with him, his unquestioning presence by my side, those intelligent yellow eyes, the familiar warm smell of his ears, the enthusiastic welcome at the door, and his soft, soft brown fur. Most of all, I’m sad for my wife who lost her best friend, the dog who would wait for her when she got home each day, who would sleep soundly on her lap in the afternoons, and slouch at her feet in the evenings.
We appreciate our surviving dog, Milo, more than ever before and, as we continue this adventure, the three of us not four, we’ll forever carry the memory of Murph with us.
We visualise him on our walks or a random event triggers a flashback and elicits a smile. He was ‘one of the gang’ on this journey of ours and we’ll not forget him, not ever, not a chance.
You have a great birthday pup, wherever you are.
Love you Murph.
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| Murphy Ward |
That’s so sad, Russell. Pets become such a huge part of our lives, especially dogs. As painful as my dog can be I’d miss her so much if she was no longer here.
On a cheerier note…I popped on over to let you know that I’ve just given you an award over at my blog. Congrats! Happy weekend x
Hey Kim, I know… It is sad but a reality of life I guess. Just took us so much by surprise and, three years on, we still miss the old boy.
Great news about the award by the way. I am extremely grateful that you consider this blog worthy of it! Have a great weekend too – just got back from the beach which was luverly!!!
Having made the journey from North American to the Middle East I can appreciate the stress. Very sad that you lost Murphy so young 🙁
Kirsty
Thanks, Kirsty. I take it that your dog(s) came too? It was definitely stressful but worth it in the end. Milo has become a true waterbaby here in Sydney!
Awwwww, poor Murphy. Such a beautiful boy.
We are very similar in that our lives revolve around our boy Bailey. Not sure what we’d do without him. He was born in Spain so has never had to move.
I’m horrified by the number of Brits leaving Spain and abandoning their dogs at the moment – I think I’d be desperately sleeping on the street with Bailey before I could abandon him.
Happy birthday Murphy.
@Wannabe Goddess – thanks for the Murph birthday wishes. He was a beautiful little boy. We still have Milo so life revolves around him but he’s getting old now and has the obligatory white beard… he is 9 in June.
It astounds me that people move abroad and leave their dogs. Are these Brits returning to the UK? How hard would it be to bring them back – not very, I assume! I know someone here who went to London on a 2-year assignment and sold both of their dogs prior to the move – one was 5 years old… just not right at all.
Such a shame Russ. I fully empathise, I recently lost one of my two dogs and the process left me emotional and overwhelmed. Cherish Milo now more than ever, and reflect on the great memories you shared with Murph.
What a beautifully written tribute to Murph. My heart goes out to you, Russell. This is a topic that so many of us can so personally relate to. I was fortunate to grow up with Groucho, a wonderfully kind and loyal dog. Losing him was a difficult moment in my life. It sounds like you gave him a wonderful life on Earth.
@Nick – Thanks Nick, I will certainly cherish little Milo! He is a gorgeous pup and, although I’m sure he misses his mate, he has a pretty good life here. Great pic of Vancouver on your blog, by the way!
@sarawilson – Thanks for the positive feedback. Amazing how attached you get to these bloody pets – Murph had as good a life as we could give him but his time was up in the end. We can only hope the little feller enjoyed his travels with us on this planet.
OMG, I had to stop reading and go to blow my nose. We will never stop missing our beloved family members! Murphy was a gorgeous pup. What a wonderful tribute to his memory.
@Lisa – Thanks again! I’m just pleased he had such a good time in BC… at Bunzen Lake, on the north shore in the water by Lion’s Gate Bridge, at English Bay, further out at White Rock. He loved it there – the smells, the animals, the new environment… Bless him.
I am in tears reading this. Downstairs my beautiful Chocolate Lab, Bailey is playing with my Englishman. She and her feline sister Stella (Artois) came over with me and the kids to England so I understand how difficult it is for them to travel that long trip. I also understand how awful it is to lose a pet. My beautiful pal Moet died at the beginning of 2005 – the year that changed everything – and I would wake sobbing with grief for many months after her passing. Still miss her. I love my animals and completely understand how you feel about losing Murph. Arohanui Vix xx
@vegemitevix – Thanks, Vix. Love your dogs’ names – sense a common naming convention there! 😉 Good on you for bringing them to Blighty – I take it they’re NZ labs? Seen some good examples of that breed here in Oz. One day I’ll be surrounded by lots and lots of chocolate (and black) labs who will remind me of Murphy but in a good way. Just love them and will always have them.
Beautiful Russell. Just beautiful. Wiping tears away remembering our first black lab Shelby (taken by brain tumor at 11), our second black lab Mayra(died at 9 just 4 months before we moved to The Netherlands, believe it was perforated intestine possibly from something she ate), and Son’s cat Charley (died of sudden cancer 3 months after we arrived here). Totally understand how they become such a part of your family. Thankfully we still have Oli (cairn terrier, 4) and Ava (our 9 year old cat); Oli’s sleeping nearby as I type. You’ve done Murphy proud.
@Linda – Thanks for your very kind comments 🙂 How hard is it having pets when they become a part of your life and especially when you move abroad and they share your adventure? We’ve had issues this week with our other lab, Milo, who also came with us from England. He has a herniated disc in his neck so is busy seeing a dog chiropractor! Although he’s all good, it just brings it back to me how special he is and how we must enjoy every moment we have with him. He’s currently having a puppy dream at my feet…
After 41 years of marriage — and loads of independence — my husband and I succumbed to a puppy last week. Now we wonder how we survived all those years without a dog in the family. Our lives now revolve around Gracie, an 8-week-old English Springer Spaniel, and we relish every moment with her. I was making a regular visit to your web site today, Russell, and re-read your tribute to Murphy. We were privileged to know Murphy during your sojourns in Vancouver and Ottawa, and now we understand the depth of your sorrow. We cannot imagine life without Gracie.
Hi Margaret, it is lovely to see you here on this blog and thank you for the comments about Gracie and Murphy. A huge congrats and well done on bringing her into your lives – we sincerely hope we get to meet her one day as she looks like the most adorable little thing.
We are now four years on from losing Murphy and I still think about him every day. Part of the reason I think his loss affected us so much is that we had such a journey with him and Milo at our sides, including special times in Vancouver and Ottawa. I can still picture him sat at our feet in your backyard, always on the look-out for a treat, never entirely relaxed when food was being served! His Canadian travels were possibly his favourites and I’m happy that he had so many great adventures during our time there.
Please give Gracie a little squeeze from us and hope to see you all soon.