Tears at Paralyzed Dog Standing for Five Seconds: ‘So, So Proud’

Social media users were left in tears after a paralyzed golden retriever managed to stand up by himself for five seconds.

On February 24, user @murphythetherapydogg posted footage of the moment on TikTok. The clip shows the pup, Murphy, standing on all four of his paws for a few seconds as his emotional owner stands behind him, ready to pick him up before he falls.

“If you’re having a bad day, here’s my paralyzed dog standing on his own for five seconds,” on-screen text said. The poster added in the caption, “Small progress is still progress, getting stronger every day!”

In an earlier post, the owner said Murphy had suddenly lost the ability to use his back legs in December, and an MRI showed that he had a herniated disc.

Newsweek contacted @murphythetherapydogg for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

“After an MRI, we found out he had a herniated disc that was compressing his spinal cord. He had emergency surgery, and there was a 50/50 chance he would walk again,” the owner wrote in the post.

“Unfortunately, he hasn’t regained mobility in his back legs, but we are working towards spinal walking. He loves his wheels and still gets around and goes for walks and runs, which is awesome and gives him a good quality of life still.”

Being disabled hasn’t slowed Murphy down, according to the post. Though he walks with a wheelchair and does hydrotherapy, acupuncture and other therapies, he still has a job. Murphy works as a therapy dog, “spreading love and happiness to kids and staff at school.”

According to the Hampshire Vet, a veterinary practice in Basingstoke, England, there are things dog owners can do at home to make the lives of their paralyzed dogs better. The practice said on its website that owners could use stair gates to avoid accidents or use ramps to get pups up and down smaller sets of steps.

They could also add rugs to slippery surfaces and use anti-slip tape underneath. Owners should also make sure entry points to their homes don’t present an obstacle. A pet buggy can be helpful to carry dogs around.

The TikTok video quickly went viral and has received more than 736,000 views and 171,000 likes on the platform.

One user commented, “So, so proud of him.”

Another said: “He’s doing so good!!! Just throwing this out there—massage therapy/muscle activation might help him with his progress!!”

“The way I would’ve immediately started crying,” a user wrote.

Another added: “There is nothing like the joy you feel in that moment. My boy was paralyzed too.”

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