Tamara Gregor: SCHS Column: Murphy's in the house, but waits for a home

Apr. 17—After a few dreary days of stormy weather a pleasantly playful pup bounced his way into The Banner office to bring a ray of sunshine as part of Stephens County Humane Society's (SCHS) Take Out Tuesday program.

Murphy is around 25 weeks old and a mixed breed. He sports a handsome black and white tuxedo coat and a heart of gold.

As a lover of people, stuffed toys and treats, Murphy is quite content with playing tug-of-war with a stuffed animal while soaking up every ounce of attention he can get from people.

After taking a minute or two to sniff his way around the rooms and down the hallway, Murphy showed off his positive personality and charming behavior.

Each week our shelter friends get a two-cheeseburger lunch and Murphy wasted no time to make those two cheeseburgers disappear within just a few minutes.

This sweet boy is a quick, but gentle eater when taking food bites by hand.

Murphy exhibits great leash manners and loves going for walks outdoors. He will walk side-by-side, unless there is a little food fallen by the wayside, which he will be sure to stop and check out along with new or different smells.

This well-mannered pup is extremely people friendly and he's ready to greet everyone he passes by on the street.

Over the course of the afternoon, Murphy made two stops at local business establishments along Main Street Duncan. He charmed his way through the doors and into the hearts of several employees from Think Ability Gardens and R&S Drug #1.

Murphy's a true heartthrob and will soak up any attention and love he can get.

After capturing the hearts of many, Murphy returned to the office for a little more playtime with a stuffed monkey and fish before settling in for a brief nap before returning for a little more playtime.

Throughout the afternoon Murphy showed off just how high he could jump, how many hugs he could give and how many friends he could make.

Murphy even showed how even-tempered he can be around cats and how they don't seem to bother him.

All-in-all, we believe Murphy would thrive in a fun, loving and active home with plenty of room to roam and play.

For the felines

Do you have feline friends who appear to get a little anxious during storm season? Here are a few tips and tricks to calm an anxious kitty.

Try to provide a safe place for your cat to get away into and a little background music to drown out the outside noise.

Other tips include closing the drapes, securing any doors and windows, providing some extra toys to keep your cat busy during the storm and maybe a few treats to occupy their time.

In addition to adding things around the home, cat owners can consult their vet about a ThunderShirt for their cat.

For more kitty cat tips sponsored by Minson's Veterinary Hospital, read next week's column.

To inquire about any of the dogs or cats, or to set up an appointment, call 580-252-7387 between the Humane Society's hours of noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. SCHS is open from noon to 2 p.m. on Sundays for adoptions only and closed on Monday for surgery day.

The SCHS column is sponsored by Minson's Veterinary Hospital, Tractor Supply Co. and R&S Drug Store.

For more information about SCHS or to donate, visit http://stephenscountyshelter.com/.