PEOPLE started following Murphy on his journey to guide dog greatness when he was just a few weeks old and learning the basics.
Now a full-grown adult with months of extensive, specialized training behind him, Murphy graduated on Aug. 18 from his program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Graduating for Murphy didn’t just include a ceremony: the yellow Labrador also got to start doing the job he has been working toward, and move into his forever home.
Murphy’s human partner is Linda Kay of Tacoma, Washington, and Murphy is her second guide dog. According to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, when Kay first met Murphy on “dog day,” she said her “heart and soul had been healed from having said goodbye to Campbell,” her first guide dog.
Even though they weren’t placed together that long ago, Kay and Murphy have already formed a deep bond and appreciation for one another.
“He is very funny and comical. It’s all about Murphy when he’s with his toys, but when he puts the harness on he is ‘Mr. Business.’ He is all about the business of keeping me safe,” Kay said of Murphy.
RELATED: Meet Murphy, PEOPLE Magazine’s Guide Dog in Training!
Along with getting an amazing companion, Kay also gets independence by having a guide dog again. No longer does she have to depend on “Slim,” her cane, to get around; now she walks with more confidence with a dog by her side.
“I’m looking forward to life going back to normal. I do a lot of volunteer work and work at my church. I am a high-ranking belt in karate (two more belts until black, and I’ve even taught Murphy to bow!). I live a very busy life and a very giving life. I’m very active in my blind knitting group,” Kay shared. “We knit Afghans for the vets, hats for the homeless, and several other projects for local organizations.”
Sounds like Murphy has a pretty fun and important future ahead of him.
To learn more about the training Murphy went through to become a guide dog, and the other amazing work Guiding Eyes for the Blind does to assist the visually impaired, visit the non-profit’s website.
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