Tesco Bag for Life pup to A-list star - rescue collie hangs up his agility harness

Indiana Bones at Crufts this weekend Pic: Laura Murphy

A rescue collie dumped in a Tesco bag as a puppy before rising to become Ireland’s top agility dog has bowed out of international competition after representing the country at Crufts for a record fourth year in a row last weekend.

Indiana Bones, also known as Indy, endured a ‘ruff’ start to life when she was handed into an animal shelter in Mayo inside a Tesco Bag for Life when she was just eight weeks old.

She was rescued by Laura Murphy, however, and has overcome the odds to become the top dog in the agility arena, while also starring alongside some of the country’s best-known actors on the silver screen.

Laura and Indy brought the curtain down on an illustrious career at the world’s biggest dog show on Saturday, but a recurring “curse” that has dogged their performances at international competitions prevented them from finishing in glory.

“We have this curse a lot in international competitions, where we often get eliminated on the second-from-last jump,” said Laura. “And the curse kind of kicked in on the jumping round on Saturday.

“We had this beautiful, gorgeous round that would have been right up there with the [best] times. And then, on the second-last jump, Indy took the wrong jump, and we were eliminated.” 

The pair finished tenth in the agility event but their elimination from the jumping event meant that they couldn’t compete for the trophy when they ran in the final on Saturday afternoon.

It wasn’t the finale that they wanted as Indy hung up her harness at Crufts, but Laura’s disappointment was outweighed by her gratitude for the amazing journey they’ve enjoyed since Indy was pulled out of a Tesco bag 10 years ago.

“I used to get really upset about that curse when we’d be at international competitions. I’d have driven all the way to the Netherlands to compete in these things, we’d have had a really good time, we’d be in the medal places, and then it would strike,” she said.

“But this time, at Crufts, I was like, ‘Ah! This is the last time that we get to experience the curse!’ I definitely thought I would be sadder. But when you really think about it, I’ve just been so lucky that it’s impossible to be sad,” added Laura.

“I was given this dog out of pure chance, and she’s given me the career that I now have, and she’s given me four years of these amazing memories at Crufts. And not many people get to have that.” 

Indy won’t be idle in retirement, however, as she continues to pursue her acting career. She starred alongside Barry Keoghan and Colm Meaney in the hit thriller, Bring Them Down, in 2024; and also acted as Sergeant Scraps in the US sitcom, Going Dutch.

She remains in high demand and, after getting the ferry back to Ireland on Monday morning after Crufts, Indy was heading straight for a film set, where she is starring in a new feature.

While her Crufts career has drawn to a close, there’s every chance that Laura will be back in the arena in the coming years, as she has more dogs hoping to follow in Indy’s footsteps.