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I found out about a 34 year old family secret this weekend, that turned one of our favourite family memories into something even better. I hope my friends on here enjoy it. I grew up in a country town, population 4,900. I was the youngest of three, with two older sisters.
When I was 7, my big sister Lou (13) was dinkying me on her bike on on the way home from the local shop. A puppy followed us home. Blue heeler x kelpie x god knows what else. He wouldn’t leave our house. Is three kids fell in love with him. We wanted to keep him so bad.
Mum and Dad insisted we put up flyers all over town, and an ad in the paper. Months passed. No one claimed the dog. Mum and Dad let us name and register him. We called him Murdoch, although Dad called him Fred. He was the best dog you could ever ask for, and we loved him.
My other sister Nic (12) was walking him with a friend one day and a car pulled up. A woman and an older teenager got out and told Nic Murdoch was theirs. They physically snatched the dog from her; I’d call it assault. She was extremely upset. We were devastated.
Mum and Dad rang the council. They said they couldn’t help. We hadn’t done anything wrong but it was probably their dog. Weeks passed as we tried to get over it. Nicole had an argument with Mum that I didn’t really understand. Something about she thought he was chained up.
One Saturday Mum and I were walking home and she was trying to help me get over Murdoch. I was still upset. I wanted him to come home. We walked around the back of the house, and there, sitting on the back porch, was OUR dog. Murdoch. He had come home.
Mum and Dad said he must have been let out, or jumped a fence and come home. Can we keep him? You bet, they said. We did. He was the best dog I have ever known. The whole neighbourhood loved that dog. When he died, our family mourned for weeks.
The thing is, this story isn’t completely true. My sister Nic had a secret. She had been riding her bike around the town in the weeks he was gone, looking for him. She was angry. We were upset, but Nicole was pissed. Really pissed.
Nicole and her friend Jason found Murdoch locked in a car outside a unit in town. Nicole walked right up to the house and demanded her dog back. She was predictably told to fuck off. Nicole was furious. Her friend Jason, though, recognised the people. They didn’t live there.
They lived one street over from us. They were right around the corner from us. More importantly, they lived next door to one of Nic and Jason’s school friends. Nic asked Mum “if” she “somehow” knew were Murdoch was, could we do anything? Mum said no. Nic was pissed.
Now things get good. If you like anything from Enid Blyton to the Goonies, strap in. Nicole and Jason went to school and formed a goddamn posse. They told their friend who lived next door to these fuckwits what was up and he solemnly swore his support.
That Saturday, they staked that house out. They found OUR dog. Chained up in the middle of the yard. No toys, food or water. He was still just a puppy.
Surveillance continued. The people left. Sentries were posted. Nicole and Jason scaled the fence, and freed Murdoch. Murdoch, the best dog that ever lived, bolted for home. The kids scattered, and Nicole headed home.
By pure chance Mum and I arrived before just before her and found Murdoch waiting. Nicole pedalled up and joined in the tearful reunion. She said nothing. Not even to Lou. She confessed to Dad about five years ago. Dad told the rest of us this weekend. We were shocked.
I thought nobody loved Murdoch more than me. I was wrong about that. My sisters were always my heroes growing up. I got that bit right. Here’s some photos of Nicole and the best dog whoever lived, Murdoch. 
Thank you to everyone for their likes, retweets, kind words, stories and pictures of Good Dogs. The response has been overwhelming, but I’ll do my best to respond where I can. Murdoch and Nicole have other good stories, but none quite this audacious!
As for Nicole, she travelled and worked around Australia and the world, before marrying and raising three kids in England. Her family returned to Australia and Nicole became a surf lifesaver. Once the kids reached teendom, she got bored, went to university and is now a nurse.
She’s the same funny, witty, caring, brave and determined person she was at 12. Louise has her own story, just as impressive. I was never shy about idolising them as a kid, and I’m not now. I think she was about 12 in this school photo.
