Help for assaulted Service Dog Murphy

TLDR: I have urgent vet bills for my service dog Murphy who was thrown at a dog park and landed on his spine. We are unable to find the assaulter (filed a police report w/o his name, revisited the park to look for him, checked for cameras, etc.) and have rising vet bills to pay, of which I can’t afford as I have a disability(SSDI) and my only income is disability benefits. We have depleted our savings due to Covid and recent events and have already dipped into what’s left of my savings and my rent money but will not be able to pay if the costs go higher. My sister is also unable to help as we have recently left an abusive situation and moving quickly cost us both quite a bit. Please help Service Dog Murphy!

Below is the full story of what happened.

Last Friday (14 May), I was at Mary S Young off-leash dog park with my service dog, Murphy, my sister Angelina, and a friend. Murphy was being very doggy, playing in a group of dogs.

One of the dogs in the group was a (beautiful) phantom-coloured  Great Dane. As Murphy interacted with that dog, the owner came up and abused Murphy. He picked him up off the ground by his harness, and threw him up in the air and away by almost six feet in height and five feet away.

After being flung by this man, Murphy landed on his spine, which has caused physical damage to him, financial damage to myself, and emotional damage to both of us. He has bruising to both sides of his ribs, his neck, some lameness in his back legs, and damage to one eye. Worse than the physical damage, he is now afraid of his harness and vest (vital for a service dog), and requires medication and treats to even walk outside unless there are two or more people (or a person and one of his doggy friends) with him.

Murphy is a beloved member of my family, and even more than that, he is my service dog. If he doesn’t improve, he can’t work anymore. This transition will be hard on him, as he loves to work and look after me, and it will also be hard on me as I will need to find and train another service dog. I am devastated; I love my fluff and hate to see him in pain. He helped me recover after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that dramatically changed my life. He continues to help me with my blood sugar/diabetes issues and is the reason we found out I have seizures - he catches most of them and guards me even if I don’t notice. He has helped me beyond measure, and until last Friday, continued to help me face the world when it is too bright, too loud, or too chaotic for my TBI brain. He is my sweet, fun-loving, and - rightfully so - judgey dog that loves with all his fluff. He has never been aggressive, he does not bite or attack others, even if another dog attacks him he will try to be their friend.

Currently, Murphy and I have vet bills and medications to pay for. It is looking like I may end up needing to find another service dog, which is a very expensive process and one I never thought I would have to face, until an unknown person reacted to normal doggy play with violence and aggression. Murphy should not have to suffer for this, I’m asking for any help anyone can give so I can help him get better. For me, yes, but most definitely for sweet Service Murphy too. He deserves better.

Any financial help will go to vet bills, the food and optional meds they recommend to help bring down inflammation, help pay for new vet costs (they are interested in sending him to neurology and are thinking about fusions if his discs try to heal themselves), to purchase some comfort items because he is having trouble stepping up and it may help to get large cushions for both room he likes to lay in, and if enough for the deposit and cost of a new dog to begin training.