If you need an example of why you should never give up hope, look no further than the story of Murphy.
In October 2012 , a golden retriever named Murphy separated from owners Erin and Nathan Braun during a camping trip in California's Tahoe National Forest. The Brauns posted fliers, set up a Facebook page, and went back weekend after weekend to search for her, all with the hope that they would one day see their dog again.
Photo from Facebook via Daily Mail
Murphy survived for twenty months on her own in the woods until she was spotted by campers at the French Meadows Reservoir, five miles from where she originally disappeared. The campers alerted the Braun family, who spent days in the woods searching for Murphy. When they couldn't find her, they left behind her bed as well as some of their clothes, hoping the scent would draw the dog back to the area. It worked.
A week later, the campground host found Murphy sleeping on the clothes that the Braun family had left in the woods and managed to get her to go into a kennel. She was reunited with her family on Father's Day.
"We are completely shocked and amazed with the miracle of her surviving this long," Erin Braun wrote on Facebook.
Erin Braun family recounted the story in a Facebook post:
Our dearest Family and Friends,
After 20 long months of being in the Tahoe National Forest, Murphy has come home. As you can imagine we are completely shocked and amazed with the miracle of her surviving this long. We responded to a call from a couple who spotted a dog matching her description in an area within 5 miles of where we lost her. After multiple days looking for her without success, we left her bed and our clothing behind with the campground host, in the hopes that she would respond. A week went by and we got a call from the campground host who was able to coax her into a kennel after she had been sleeping every night on the blanket and clothing that was left behind. We were reunited with Murphy, on Sunday afternoon - Father's Day! She is on the road to recovery, very thin and frail but happy to be home with her family. We have so many people to thank the list is endless. Words can not describe how grateful we are. Homeward Bound was instrumental in their efforts to help, the campground host - Jason, Jacob (guy that made the call), Missy, Lea, Deann, Teresa, Mike, Mike, Mary, Jason, Lauren, Larry, Bubba, Wawa, Bob and Kim --- You all know who you are Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are forever grateful. -- Nathan and Erin
via Facebook
Pretty incredible, right?