‘You’re Lucky Your Dog Woke You Up’: How Murphy the Golden Retriever Saved a Grandma and Baby From a Flood
One loyal golden retriever’s instincts made the difference between life and tragedy
Pam Wendtland loved her golden retriever, Murphy. But she never knew he would also be her hero — until the night torrential rains turned her yard into a lake and the water kept rising! Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.
“We’re not going anywhere — especially with the rain coming,” Pam Wendtland said as her daughter, Libby, handed her the keys for her Nissan Rogue, which had a car seat — Pam’s did not.
Libby and her husband, Andrew, were leaving their 1-year-old, Harper, with her grandmother overnight.
Later, Pam tucked Harper into her crib while her 9-year- old golden retriever, Murphy, stood at the bedroom door. “We better get some sleep, too,” she said, and Murphy curled up by her bed.
But at about 11:30, Pam awakened to Murphy’s low whimpering. Figuring he needed to go out, she climbed out of bed. Murphy padded behind but turned back.
I guess not, Pam thought. Glancing out the window, she noticed the rain had begun.
But at 2:45, it happened again — only this time, Murphy was continuously poking Pam with his snout.
Hero dog’s life-saving warning
Outside, it sounded like Niagara Falls coming down. The yard was now a lake.
The water had risen to the top step of her basement, and her daughter’s SUV was half underwater. Some 14 inches of rain would fall that night in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Pam grabbed her phone and called 911. “I have a baby and a dog, and the circuit breakers in the basement are flooded,” she blurted.
“We’ll come get you,” the dispatcher promised, but an hour later, Pam was still sitting on the couch, praying for the rain to stop.
When Pam smelled a gas leak, she decided she couldn’t wait for the police.
“We’re going on an adventure,” she woke up Harper, who smiled big.
When Pam opened the passenger door of Libby’s car, a torrent of water spilled out.
Pam strapped Harper into the wet car seat, and Murphy leapt into the passenger seat.
Slowly working the pedals that were still underwater, Pam eased out of the driveway and crept forward. The trio finally made it to safety at Pam’s sister’s house.
In the morning, Pam returned home and discovered the water had stopped its rise at her front door. But her basement, where she stored everything, was a complete loss. “You’re lucky your dog woke you up,” the gas company worker said. “Otherwise, you might not have at all.”
Insurance covered a part of the repairs. Family and a GoFundMe campaign also helped, as did the local heating contractor who donated a new unit and installation.
“I have so many angels to thank, says Pam. “Starting right here,” she adds, giving Murphy a loving scratch behind the ears.
This article originally appeared in the January 26, 2026, print issue of Woman’s World.
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