The family of missing mother Samantha Murphy has been dealt another cruel blow with the disappearance of her beloved dog Ruby.
The three-year-old Vizsla is believed to have escaped from the family home, just off Eureka Street in East Ballarat, northwest of Melbourne, sometime on Thursday.
It is the same property from which Ms Murphy disappeared on February 4 after a planned run at Woowookarung Regional Park.
A family friend, who asked not to be named, told Daily Mail Australia that Ruby had managed to escape from the family home with the family’s other dog, which then returned to the property.
‘It’s just heartbreaking. Samantha loved that dog. It was her baby,” the source said.
“I would be crazy if I knew Ruby was lost and alone in the bush.”
The family of missing mother Samantha Murphy has been dealt another cruel blow with the disappearance of her beloved dog Ruby (pictured).
A family friend of Samantha Murphy (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia that Ruby had managed to escape from the family home with the family’s other dog, which then returned to the property. ‘It’s just heartbreaking. Samantha loved that dog. He was her baby,” the source said.
Murphy had taken to social media in 2021 asking for help finding Ruby after the then-10-week-old puppy escaped from the family’s previous home in nearby Navigators.
The photo showed the cheeky pup curled up in Ms Murphy’s bed.
Murphy made no secret of his affection for the big-eared pup and provided constant updates on the search at the time.
‘Thank you all. Nothing yet, just get through it all,’ she wrote at the time.
Mrs. Murphy could barely contain her joy when Ruby was found safe and sound.
‘And Ruby just got back. “Dirty and frozen and in need of lots of hugs!!,” she posted on Facebook at the time.
‘Very happy family. A tired dog with a full belly and now sleeping soundly.’
In an ironic twist, the last image of Murphy shared with the public by Victoria Police appears to show her disposing of Ruby’s excrement.
“She loved that dog like family,” the source said. “We think Ruby is probably there looking for her.”
Daily Mail Australia contacted Ms Murphy’s husband, Mick Murphy, for comment on Tuesday but did not receive a response.
Police sources told Daily Mail Australia that Ruby had not been with Ms Murphy when she disappeared.
Ms Murphy took to social media in 2021 asking for help finding Ruby after the then 10-week-old puppy escaped from her family’s previous home in nearby Navigators.
In an ironic twist, the last image of Murphy shared with the public by Victoria Police appears to show her disposing of Ruby’s excrement.
On Friday, Acting Detective Superintendent Mark Hatt told reporters that detectives would now investigate Ms Murphy’s movements and interactions with other people in the days before her disappearance.
‘Of course, that will be a big part of our investigation. Going deeper into the background, investigating Samantha’s movements in the days leading up to her disappearance and also investigating the people who know her,” she said.
Part of the investigation, now called Operation Primus, will see detectives trawl through Ms Murphy’s computers and devices in the hope of finding clues.
Superintendent Hatt said police were still working to determine who may have been in the area where Ms Murphy’s phone lost communication with the mobile towers.
His mobile phone had rang in the nearby suburb of Buninyong before going off.
Detectives are still puzzled over where Ms Murphy went when she left her home.
CCTV footage showing Ms Murphy outside her home was the last confirmed sighting of her alive.
A smiling Mick Murphy is pictured with police last Friday, the day after his wife Samantha’s dog Ruby went missing.
Ruby is believed to have escaped from the Murphy home (pictured) sometime Thursday night or Friday morning.
It is understood cameras captured Ms Murphy walking down the driveway before disappearing without a trace.
The family remembers reporting him missing after he failed to arrive at a brunch scheduled for that morning.
Murphy’s oldest daughter, Jessica, and her father made a desperate plea for their loved one to return home that same day.
Through tears, Jessica urged the public to continue searching for her mother.
“Mom, we love you so much, we miss you and we need you home with us, please come home soon, I can’t wait to see you,” Jessica told reporters.
“Mom is a very strong woman and she is too determined to give up this fight.”
Jessica’s father thanked the community for their support and asked for answers.
“People don’t just disappear into thin air,” Murphy said.
‘Someone has to know something… whether it’s any little thing you might think is relevant, just call the police and tell them.
“It will give us some peace of mind if we have some hope.”
Anyone with information about Ms Murphy’s disappearance is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.