Therapy dog Murphy brings joy to North Hills folks of all ages

Murphy the therapy dog brings a golden touch to everywhere he goes, and owner Laurie Lang thinks it could be because of his breed.

“Seriously, who doesn’t love a golden retriever? They melt my heart. They’re just kind of homebodies,” said Lang, a Shaler resident. “Murphy is very gentle with seniors or kids. His temperament is very calm. He loves people and loves the attention.”

Murphy, who will be 3 years old on June 29, passed his therapy dog testing in December 2022 through Alliance Therapy Dogs. Lang loves to share his doggone good humor in the North Hills, whether at schools, libraries or nursing homes, such as at Grace Manor at North Park Senior Living Community in McCandless.

Julie Farina, the home’s activities director, said Murphy brings a smile to everyone’s face. He visits Grace Park’s personal-care and memory-care residents regularly.

“They love him. The patients just light up when he comes in. He’s just a fluffy ball of fluff, the sweetest thing. He’s very gentle. They just love to pet him and talk about pets they had,” Farina said. “Having a dog around brings out good memories,” Farina said.

Lang said that resident Esther, who is 105, has a special relationship with the dog. Despite her having vision challenges, Esther always knows when Murphy arrives.

“When we go to visit, he immediately goes to Esther first,” Land said. “In her little room, she’s got her drawer with goodies in it (for him).”

Esther agreed with a laugh and enthusiastic remark: “I love that dog.”

Murphy is the third golden that they’ve owned but first therapy dog.

Lang and Murphy also visit Blessed Trinity Academy, a North Hills Regional Catholic elementary school in Shaler.

Meredith Kandravy, the academy’s admissions and marketing director, and principal Elizabeth Vita started the visits at the school last year, when Lang contacted them about bringing her dog.

“Both of us thought this was a great idea and that the kids would really enjoy having Murphy here. Last year, we had our kindergarten and first-grade students practice reading to him during his visits,” Kandravy said.

Murphy visits Blessed Trinity monthly and spends time in different classrooms with each visit, preschool through middle school.

“The kids love seeing him. Everyone has a chance to sit with him and pet him. It provides such a calming experience for our students,” Kandravy said. “Murphy has even made some appearances at our basketball games to cheer on our teams.”

The kids are really excited to have him.

“Murphy makes everyone feel less stressed. He definitely helps us focus after we have spent time with him. Everyone gets so excited when he visits,” said Hailey Glass, a seventh grader at BTA who lives in McCandless.

Lang said she always has a question-and-answer period for each classroom. She checks for allergies or a fear of dogs to ensure the students are comfortable.

Murphy also has visited local libraries, including for Shaler North Hills Library’s Tale Waggin’ Tutors program. There, the kids may sit and read to him as he does what dogs do best.

“Sometimes he sleeps,” Lang said. “Sometimes he rolls over for the belly rubs. Sometimes he’s licking their faces,” she said.

Lang, who is married to Brian, with two adult children and one grandchild, has two other golden retrievers but this is her first service dog. They have lots of family time together.

“He loves the snow and loves to swim,” she said about Murphy. “When we go to Florida we will take him down and he loves to go into the ocean.”

For inquiries about visits by Lang and Murphy, email laurielang921@yahoo.com.