The Unstoppable June

From the day we meet them to the day we say goodbye, our pets make an unbelievable impact on our lives. The bonds we build with them over the course of their lifetime bring us joy, comfort, and companionship. It isn’t always easy, but the love and resilience out pets show us are the best when matched by what we can give to them.

This is the story of one family’s dedication to their beloved pet, June.

June was a shy dog, sitting in the back of her kennel when the McMurray’s meandered into our Leslie A. Malone Center in Denver in December of 2020. The height of COVID had the family of four ready to open their home to an animal in need. “The girls really wanted to meet her (June),” Samantha said.

“She was the only dog who didn’t come right to the glass to meet us, and she looked so sad,” Vada recalls.

In the meeting room, June remained a little timid. The adoption counselor reviewed her known history with the family, mentioning she would probably be best in a quiet home with no stairs. “The exact opposite of our home, “Samantha tells us with a laugh.

After some tears and plenty of persuading from Vada and Mary – “she need us!” they cried – Samantha and Troy said okay, but she is your responsibility!

“June is mom’s shadow,” Vada laughs.

“The first night, we found her on the landing at the top of the stairs, so we were sure she would be okay with that!” The family joked. June quickly became a loving part of the family, still shy around new people, but as Vada and Mary put it, “We made her more energetic.”

Four years later, the unthinkable happened. June had a stroke, believed to be a Fibrocartilaginous embolism, that left her paralyzed. Uncertain if she would recover, the family met with veterinarians and a grief therapist as they navigated one of the most difficult times.

“Give her 3 weeks. That’s what the vet told us. 3 weeks to see if she gets any better. For us, it was all about her quality of life,” Samantha says. “And those first three weeks were really hard. It’s like having a 65-pound baby. She needed to relearn everything.”

“A 65-pound baby that head butts,” Troy amends with a laugh, recalling those early days of recovery when June needed to be put into diapers.

But slowly, June gave signs that while her life may look different than anticipated, she was not giving up, and neither would the McMurrays.

“She’s always been ticklish and I would give her slow, ticklish pets, just to see if she could feel it, you know? Troy said. “One day, her toes flinched and I thought ‘she didn’t do that yesterday!’ and it just became the little signs that showed her determination.”

After 10 days, they saw her first tail wag. “She saw a very cute male dog, and her tail just started going! And since then, it’s been waggin’!”

From water therapy to at-home physical therapy, Troy committed months to working with June. “He got these Velcro shoes that he could wear and strap her into so we could get her moving and working those back legs.”

Finally, on a sunny day in January 2025, June made strides – her wobbly first steps towards Troy on the front lawn. “It was really emotional – it still is,” Troy says. “He cried!” Vada and Mary interjected.

“I just asked her to walk to me and she did.”

June’s got her groove back

More recently, June is interested in expanding her world again. “She knows now that she doesn’t need to just sit in one of her beds and wait for us.”

Last year, June joined us for the Furry Scurry – our annual 2-mile fundraiser dog-walk in Washington Park. June was a showstopper! “Everyone wanted to take pictures and hear her story,” Samantha said. In the talent show, June’s resilience and unstoppable energy earned her second place! “She was just starting to walk more, so we set up a little obstacle course, told her story, and removed her wheels so everyone could see her move.”

June is more vocal now, too. She uses her voice to communicate her needs with her humans, from grumbles and huffs to barks.

Despite everything she has been through, June is still a happy, curious dog. She gets excited when she sees other dogs, plays and snuggles with her family, and loves to roll in the dirt. The family continues to work on her physical therapy to build her muscles, and they give her shoulder massages to help with arthritis.

She is an ambassa-dog for a local holistic treat company aimed at providing mental and physical support to dogs, cats, and other animals.

“You never think you’re going to change your dog’s diapers,” Samantha said, reflecting on the early days of June’s recovery, “but we said if she wants it, we’ll do it, and she has the will!”

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