Murray the beagle was an abused shelter dog that's getting a second chance in life as a security dog intake Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport customs department.
Murray was brought to the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter a year ago where he was found outside in bad condition. He had a band on his tail, perhaps to shorten his tail, and half of one of his ears missing.
“He was very scared and nervous,” said Shelter Director Tammie Jourdanais. “You could tell he’d not been socialized much.”
After he received medical attention, Murray moved to Alcovy Pet Rescue where he was placed in a foster home.
“[His foster owner] recognized his ability to sniff and search out food,” Yvonne Petty, director of Alcovy Pet Rescue, said. “He was constantly smelling everything and getting in the cabinets. He was just very interested in that kind of thing.”
It was then when Murray was enrolled in training at the United States Department of Agriculture. He graduated on March 16 and will soon begin work at the Atlanta airport, where he will join a group of dogs who scan luggage for prohibited plants and foods.
Petty said, “He’s done so well and we’re just so amazed at what a transformation he [made] from being abused… to overcoming all that. You can find great dogs in animal control instead of going out and buying them.”