A Veterinary Nurse’s Story

 W.B. Murph is a real-life silly Beagle who loves whispering his story ideas to his faithful, former veterinary nurse human. Together, pet and owner have created a heartfelt new children’s picture book that confronts the importance (for animals and humans) of love and care despite perceived flaws, fears, and failures. “Molly’s Miracle: A Chosen Dog, Not a Broken Dog” (November 7th, 2023, National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week) takes young readers on an adventure of hope and second chances with lovable Beagle Molly, inspired by real events. This emotionally-charged TAIL teaches young readers to love and respect our beloved four-legged friends, and that what makes us different is what makes us special.

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A Veterinary Nurse’s Story

Before Mama and I met, she had another dog. That dog got very sick, very quickly, and euthanasia was the only option. Mama would have given anything to save her beloved Mayer, but there was nothing anyone could do. The experience with the veterinary community inspired Mama to become a certified veterinary nurse. 

As a nurse, Mama saw the very best parts of pet owners, and the very worst. She saw an elderly woman come in to the clinic without a penny to her name, but still paying for fluid therapy for an 18 year old cat with kidney failure; she also saw a young couple, wearing four hundred dollar sneakers, who refused to pay for Parvovirus treatment for their 8 week old, $3000 French Bulldog. 

This started my Mama thinking: What makes the difference? Why are some people’s dogs “just dogs” and other people’s cats their whole world? What happened in the lives of these two different pet owners to cause such a completely different attitude? As with many of her thoughts, this became a chase of the white rabbit down to Wonderland. 

She thought of her own childhood. When my Mama was very little like me, Murphy, she was riding in a car with her Papa. It was snowing very hard and her Papa could barely make out the road. Then there was a very large thump. Papa got out to see what had happened. What he saw, and what he did, would pave the way for Mama’s whole life. 

He saw a pure white lump of fur off to the side of the road, nearly invisible in the hard snow. He picked the dog up, and carried it to the trunk of the car. He cried the entire time. He drove from house to house, looking for the owners of the dog he had accidentally killed, until he found them. He knew he could not bring that dog back, no matter how much he willed it, but at least he could give their owners some peace in knowing what happened. 

Her Papa had taught her a lesson – even though he never spoke a word to her about it. She watched his actions, she thought about his character, and she learned to grow up just like him. She concluded that while there are some people who are just born with an ingrained idea about the value of animals, for most, it is lessons taught in childhood that create the life they ultimately live. 

As a nurse, my Mama would often donate treatment to owners she could tell were struggling, because she knew it was the right thing to do for families who so clearly loved their pets. Though it was many years ago, she still remembers fondly a little Dachshund named Clyde. He came to the office on the verge of collapse from Immune-mediated Hemolytic Anemia. Clyde’s owner stood at the front desk of the office and begged for information on charities that could help her save Clyde’s life. She loved her dog; she simply did not have the funds for important, life-saving treatment. 

My mama paid Clyde’s initial bill and convinced the veterinarian to donate the follow up care Clyde would need to recover. She did it because this is the lesson she learned in that childhood car ride: when we help animals, we help the humans who love them.  Clyde continued as a patient of the clinic (along with his companion Bonnie) for many more years. Mama took the young owner under her wing, taught her to save a few dollars every week so that when she really needed money for Clyde, she would have it. Although Clyde would growl and bite at everyone else in the clinic, he never bit my Mama. He knew that Mama was a good soul and dogs should not bite good souls. 

Many years later, Mama retired from nursing because lifting 200 pound Rottweilers does tire you out some, and she decided to take on a second career helping Murph (that’s me) to teach lessons that not all children have the opportunity to learn from their families, friends, teachers, and schools. Her goal was twofold. She wanted parents to understand one simple, immutable fact: Watch your actions, for they become your child’s character. She wanted children to have the same opportunity that she had as a very young child; the opportunity to value lives, both human and animal. 

Our books offer simple, subtle lessons on how to care for and protect animals – both those that we own and those that are owned by others. In the process, we hope to also teach children the path they should walk in dealing with other humans. That is why all of our books contain non-standard dogs and less than typical humans and families. We believe, that if we have not been given a roadmap, it is impossible to get where we are going. Mama and Murph hope that our books can offer children a roadmap to a life filled with conviction, and a love for social justice. There is no finer reward when our short time on the planet ends, than to know we did the right thing.

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MOLLY’S MIRACLE

Molly has been abandoned by a cruel owner, left alone to fend for herself in the streets. She is hurt, she is hungry, and most of all, Molly is unloved. She tries to make friends but everywhere she goes, she is turned away, treated harshly, told to leave. When all hope is lost, Molly meets her miracle…a girl whose very special gift is just what Molly needs to see the value in herself.  Molly’s Miracle is a story of love, acceptance, kindness, and the light that shines in everyone – no matter their circumstance. 

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W.B. Murph  is a 5 year old Beagle living his best life in Colorado. He whispers story ideas to his ever-faithful, former veterinary nurse human, who writes them down, as Beagles are not so very good at holding a pencil. Murph’s stories focus on children from all circumstances, with all abilities, and their less-than-typical dogs. Murph tells tales of love, acceptance and equality for all because when we learn to love our differences we start to live our best lives – just like Murph! Find out more about them at their website.

Follow W.B. Murph on social media:

Facebook: @MurphWrites | Twitter: @WonderBeagMurph

Instagram: @WonderBeagleMurphy

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing