N.B. town mourns death of support puppy just 2 weeks after getting him

The New Brunswick town of Riverview and its first responders are mourning the loss of their new facility dog.

In a statement, the town said Murphy, a yellow Labrador retriever puppy, died in his sleep early Wednesday morning, just two weeks after joining the Riverview Fire and Rescue team.

The release said during his short life, Murphy made a “significant contribution” to morale across the town by “visiting events and cheerfully introducing himself to residents.”

“His sweet disposition was a comfort to all who had the privilege of meeting him,” it said.

Fire Chief Robin True said seeing Murphy was a highlight of his day.

“I had just started to get used to having him come in each day, like the other firefighters. He was already well socialized and seemed to love meeting people and having attention,” said True in the statement. “Seeing him was something I looked forward to in my busy day.”

True said Murphy made a big difference during his “short but impactful time with the crew.”

“In the short time we had him every firefighter had conversations with community members who were excited to meet Murphy, and excited for our fire department,” said True. “We were just gearing up for a busy summer with Murphy.”

Murphy was part of a facility dog program which aims to introduce therapy dogs to first responders to aid in their mental health.

The program is run by Canine Therapy for First Responders Atlantic, which provides the dogs to first responders at no cost.

The cause of Murphy’s death has yet to be determined.

“We are truly heartbroken to hear of this tragedy,” said Tracey Ryan, president of Canine Therapy For First Responders Atlantic, in a statement.

“The connections that Murphy made with the community in his brief time were so pure. We will be working closely with our veterinary partners and the team at UPEI to understand what caused his sudden passing as we try to gain closure.”