German Shepherd Finds Her Forever Home With A War Vet After Being Thrown Off A Balcony By Her Previous Owner
A German Shepherd named Opa May survived a horrifying fall after her owner threw her from a second-story balcony at a Florida motel. The bodycam footage from Volusia County shows deputies arriving to a chaotic scene, then watching the situation turn even more disturbing in seconds.
The woman involved, Allison Murphy, was later arrested, while the dog somehow made it through the incident without serious physical injuries. From there, Opa May, later renamed Miracle, began a long road toward safety, foster care, and eventually a permanent home with a war veteran who saw the video and wanted to help.
It is a brutal story, but Miracle’s ending is the part that sticks.
This is Opa May, the one-year-old German Shepherd thrown from the balcony
Allison Murphy testified that she is an Iraq war veteran suffering from several mental health issues
She stated that she would never normally harm her dog, but she had taken sedatives to help her sleep. She woke up hallucinating that they were in danger and thought she was saving herself and Opa May from harm.
She also said she would do whatever it takes to get Opa May back
This was the Daytona Beach motel where Opa May was thrown from
Seen here is Allison Murphy coming out of the room with a leashed Opa May while the officers tried to converse with her
Things escalated fast at the motel.
The officers were just a few steps away when Allison picked Opa May up
To everyone's horror, she threw the dog from the balcony. The officers tried to catch the dog, but everything happened too quickly.
The dog fell onto the concrete parking lot and ran away while some staff and hotel guests corralled it to ensure its safety.
The dog didn't sustain physical injuries from the fall, but the vet testified that she extracted a needle from the dog's leg. She also believes Opa May was traumatized by the events.
Miracle's rescue turned into a full recovery effort.
It also reminds us of the boyfriend who peed on a dog “as punishment,” and the lightning-fast rescue.
Alicia Dease rescued Opa May and brought her to animal services for care. She then fostered Opa May until she found a home.
Opa May was finally safe, and she was given a new name: Miracle.
So many people reached out to adopt Miracle, but one family was deemed worthy to love her forever!
The Volusia County Animal Services Director was thrilled to announce that Miracle has finally found her forever family!
That happy update made the whole story feel a little lighter.
Look at her!
Miracle will not want for hugs and cuddles from her new human.
Alicia was emotional when recalling Miracle's journey.
Her new owner, Ted, is an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran.
He shared that he saw the awful video and wondered how anyone could do that to an animal they were supposed to protect.
He felt he and his wife could provide Miracle with a good and loving home, so they volunteered to foster her.
They cherished the time they spent together, and the couple decided to make Miracle a permanent member of their family.
Miracle clearly won over everyone who met her.
We say it's a love match!
You can watch the full video courtesy of Volusia County Animal Services below:
Miracle's former owner was fined $1,100 for her actions and was barred from owning any animals for five years. Is it enough punishment? We are unsure, but we hope she learned her lesson.
As for Miracle, the wonderful survivor, she has been given a new and better chance at life. She was only a year old when she experienced those traumatic events, but she still has her whole life with her new family to look forward to.
Some stories end with heartbreak, but this one found a home.
If you think Opa May’s case was intense, read about the man refusing to return a support dog to the original owner.
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