by Miracle is about to embark on a new adventure as a service dog for a veteran after narrowly avoiding a terrifying fall from a second-floor balcony and spending months in foster care.
She has been adopted and will soon start her new life as a support dog for a war veteran, which is good news. She brought this information back with her. In December, a video that showed a young German Shepherd being thrown over a balcony in Daytona Beach went viral. After determining that the dog’s previous owner, Allison Murphy, is unable to care for her as a result of the incident, the judge accepted a plea for rehoming. Murphy’s criminal conviction prevents him from owning pets for the following five years.
In December 2020, Volusia County police received a call about a woman who they claimed was threatening to jump from a second-floor balcony at a hotel in Daytona Beach. Murphy grabbed the dog and threw her over the balcony before the sheriffs arrived. The dog found a way to stand back up and start running. Bystanders picked her up and brought her to a nearby animal hospital so they could treat her. She escaped with only minor wounds, earning the moniker “Miracle.”
Since December, Miracle has been living with a foster family. Animal Services paired her with a war veteran who requires an assistance animal because she is a young, trained service dog and still has a lot of love and support to give. Veterans with physical disabilities and injuries may benefit from service dogs’ assistance with tasks like opening doors, operating switches, fetching objects, and barking for help. Additionally, they provide veterans with PTSD or other mental health issues as a result of their service with emotional support and comfort.
Animal Services Director Adam Leath thanked everyone who had helped make Miracle’s story joyful in a statement released by Volusia County, adding, “We’re glad that working with our law enforcement colleagues, we were able to intervene and prevent Miracle from any further injury.” The county’s animal services and law enforcement agencies continue to collaborate to offer assistance and supplies for both our canine and feline pets.
