Thursday, Jan. 22: Stowe library hosts ‘Catching Murphy’ author

Janaury 20, 2026  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

The book 'Catching Murphy' shares the story of Murphy the golden retriever who was on the run in Waterbury from 2014 until 2016. Courtesy photo

From 2014 until early 2016, people from Waterbury to Morrisville were captivated by the story of Murphy, the lost golden retriever and the quest to find him and bring him home. 

For 559 days, Murphy lived out on his own, surviving through two brutal winters after a car crash sent him running into the woods. 

Wilson Ring, the now-retired Vermont correspondent for the Associated Press, was living in Waterbury Center when he first spotted Murphy in his horse pasture in December 2014. He would spend much of the next 13 months trying to bring Murphy home. 

This Thursday, Jan. 22, Ring will discuss his book “Catching Murphy,” which chronicles the painstaking efforts made by a series of dedicated volunteers to bring Murphy home while people up and down the Rt. 100 corridor and beyond rooted for his safe return.

The saga had a happy ending when Murphy was finally caught in 2016. The story also offers useful insights for all dog owners about what to do when a dog runs away after a traumatic event.

Also invited to Thursday’s event are some key people to Murphy’s story: Erika Holm, of the Central Vermont Humane Society, volunteer Lisa Lovelette of Waterbury Center, and Kirstin Campbell, one of Murphy's owners. 

Murphy passed away in 2025 at age 14, a long life for a golden retriever.

First published online in 2018 as part of Amazon's Missing collection, Ring’s book was later published in print by The Associated Press. 

Thursday’s event begins at 7 p.m. at the Stowe Free Library and is sponsored by the Friends of Stowe Free Library. 

Wilson Ring, who now lives in Stowe, is a member of the Waterbury Roundabout’s advisory board.