Dog lost in Tahoe forest for 2 years is ‘doing great,’ family says

Murphy, the golden retriever that emerged from Tahoe National Forest earlier this month after going missing during a camping trip two years ago, is “doing great” after being reunited with her owners, who confirmed the dog’s identity by finding a scar.

“It’s truly her. It’s just an unbelievable story,” Erin Braun told ABC.

Murphy, who went missing during a family camping trip at the Tahoe National Forest in October 2012, was spotted by a camper at the French Meadows Reservoir earlier this month, five miles from where she had gone missing.

Upon being notified, the Brauns immediately drove from their El Dorado Hills home to the camping site. After several days of searching unsuccessfully, the Brauns left Murphy’s old bed and some of the family’s clothing with the campground host, hoping the dog would respond, according to a Facebook post written by the couple.

The plan worked. A week later, the Brauns received a call from the host telling them Murphy had been sleeping on the blanket and clothing they left behind, the Brauns wrote.

Although the Brauns felt relatively confident that the dog was Murphy, one piece of evidence proved her identity, ABC reported: an L-shaped scar above her right elbow.

The Brauns’ daughter, Morgan, was only a baby when Murphy went missing, but she told the dog upon her return they’d never lose her again, ABC reported.

When the dog first returned home, she was thin and frail, but recovering, the Brauns wrote.

On June 20, Erin Braun changed her Facebook profile picture to a photo of Murphy holding a chunk of snow in her mouth.

“Murphy is doing great!! Getting more energy everyday. I think I spent more $$ on her food than ours . I am ok with that!!” she wrote.

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