Help Sought to Find Missing Service Dog

By Chuck N. Baker
(Las Vegas, NV) — Last December, a sudden medical emergency hit Morris Collins. The comatose Army veteran was placed inside an ambulance and raced to the hospital. Sadly, his faithful service dog, Murphy, managed to slip through an unattended door and took off after the ambulance, before disappearing. His beloved dog, Murphy, provided comfort and security. But now Murphy is gone.

Neighbor Jackie Scaturro described the situation in more detail. She said Collins is disabled, has mobility issues and suffers from diabetes. Scaturro said Collins was enrolled with the VA, but under the circumstances he was taken to a civilian hospital that was closer. “He was revived by medical personnel and found to be bleeding internally,” she said. “And then he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.”

By February, Collins was sent home under hospice care. Scaturro said with each passing day, Collins fell more deeply into despair, worrying and wondering what happened to his best friend, Murphy. In the third week of March, Collins’ was returned to the hospital after his condition worsened, progressing to Stage Four cancer. On April 19, 2019 he passed away. Scaturro said. “He was 72 years old, three days away from his 73rd birthday.”

But this story didn’t end here.

Scaturro said Murphy was microchipped and Collins had called the chip company adding her name to the dog’s digital information, placing her next-in-line to care for Murphy, should he be found. “Morris sat with me and called. He added my name, saying he wanted me to have Murphy. He authorized me to be on the chip.” But as time went by, Scaturro said she felt she had to do more. So, she contacted the ClearChannel billboard company and asked if they could help. The result was more than she expected. “We reached out to them and they donated nine billboards in Las Vegas.”

The billboards feature a photo of Murphy, a Belgian Malinois, and the message “MISSING SERVICE DOG of Disabled Veteran. REWARD. Last seen Dec. 6 in Centennial Hills Area. Call JACKIE (702) 862-0622.”

“We’ve been getting plenty of calls,” she said. “But none of the leads have panned out.” The search for Murphy continues. If you can offer information or assistance that would locate Murphy, you’re encouraged to call the number above.