One-year-old Murphy the maremma sheepdog had a rough start to life, surrendered three times by different owners in Newcastle, Sydney and then Canberra. The problem wasn't them or him, but he was kind of a square peg in a round hole.
Domestic Animal Services assistant director Jackie Gardner said mareemas were a breed that needed space to roam and they also had a strong natural instinct for protecting their flock from intruders, which made them excellent livestock guard dogs. Being kept in a suburban backyard was never going to do.
