On a typical day, you see him walking through the halls of the boys’ house at The Genesis Project greeting everyone he sees. He’ll then make his way to the administration building to repeat his routine where busy people always stop what they are doing to spend a few moments with him. He’s arguably the most-liked, most-welcomed team member on staff. He’s only four years old but seems to have a wisdom that baffles those who meet him.
Murphy is not your typical team member at Genesis, a qualified residential treatment facility treating boys who have been abused or neglected. He has four legs, a big heart, and is a good listener. He’s a Golden Retriever – a trained, certified service dog who gets better at what he does every day.
“Technically, he’s called a service dog, though I like to say he’s a comfort dog because he provides emotional support. He’s there for someone when they need him,” said Andrew Hart, The Genesis Project’s therapist.
Murphy came to Genesis three years ago after being adopted from a nonprofit organization called Canine Assistants in Milton Georgia. There, Hart trained with Murphy for a short time before bringing him to his new home at Genesis in July of 2021. The organization wanted to make sure the two were a good match. In fact, Murphy was chosen because of his size. He is large for his breed and Canine Assistants knew that would be an advantage when working with aggressive boys. Hart and Murphy have been best buddies ever since. Murphy makes new friends every time a new child is admitted into Genesis’ care.
“He just has a special ability to just emotionally connect with anyone,” Hart said.
And that’s why he’s perfect for our environment where boys struggling with their emotions require lots of support. Murphy is always patient and kind and has an uncanny radar to determine a person’s emotional state of well-being.
“If I was sitting across from you and I was sad, you might just have a softer tone with me or something like that. He just has that distinct ability, though, just to read the emotions of others. And it's just kind of like, okay, let me fix myself here and get down on their level where they're needed to be. He can do that as well.”
Sometimes Murphy will instinctively lie down at a person’s feet if he senses stress, which helps people calm down. If a child is happy, it’s time to play.
“If they're sad, he'll put his head on their lap or just sit with them. If they just want to pet him, he's free to do that. If they're a little bit angry without being aggressive, Murphy kind of keeps back a little bit but he allows them to come up to him,” Hart said.
Murphy not only cares for the boys, but he is also there for the staff who have difficult jobs because they deal with some of the most aggressive kids in the foster care system. Hart said staff always react positively in his presence.
“I think any time you see an animal near you, though, you can easily physically react to that. And I think he really does a good job of just calming anybody down when he's around them,” Hart said.
You will find Murphy in Hart’s office during therapy with children, or doing rounds across campus and you always will see a smile on his face. When the day is over, he knows he’s off duty and, like all staff, goes home at night. He lives with Hart who sees another side of him, the dog who has a hard time keeping his toys in order.
“He’s a mess,” Hart said. “When he plays, he doesn’t want just one toy. They all are strewn over the house.”
It’s all in a day’s work for everyone’s favorite colleague who takes his job seriously and makes a positive difference in everyone he meets. Murphy turns five in October.
