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BOOMER’S STORY

Our fund to help pet owners with emergency vet care for life threatening conditions is deeply in the red, due to so many job losses.  We are borrowing from our general fund to help the most serious cases.  The following is the real story behind the Boomer Fund.  (All donations from the public go to this fund.  The monies we earn go to spay and neuter).

Our ( the Thode family) first dog was an abused young collie/sheltie mix living on the east side of Stoughton (this was before the SAA had been formed).  A dear friend was neighbor to the owners.  She asked if we could possibly take in this dog.  We had only had cats, so were not convinced but we promised to drive by and see.  We made a fast decision when we saw a very thin scared dog attached to a clothes line in a yard.  We went up to the door and asked if we could buy their dog.  The man gruffly said “you can have her!!!”  He gave us her brush and leash and we loaded her into the car.  We had a toddler son at the time and very little money but now we had a dog.  She was scared to death of men and shoes.  The vet visit found her malnourished and very anemic so we had to build her up before she could be spayed. Even so, she almost died during surgery as she hemorrhaged.  She became an expensive “free” dog, but she was worth her weight in gold – a wonderful companion to our oldest son.   (They were toddlers together and grew side by side).  She was a “Real Lady” who never dripped water after drinking and always cleaned up the crumbs from her milk bones. She loved being outside even in snow until she got arthritis and decided warm was better.  She developed a limp at age 13 and it wasn’t just arthritis.  X-rays revealed bone cancer.  When two legs broke due to the cancer, we had her euthanized under our maple tree in the back yard with all of us gathered around her.  It was very hard on our son as she was his confidante who would always understand his emotional needs.  Lots of tears were shed. 

One week later, to the day and hour, our son’s best human friend and grand father died unexpectedly.  We knew then that another dog was needed.  We prayed for one that needed us as much as we needed it.  The answer came in the form of a stinky, untrained, not house broken 18 month old “mutt” named Boomer.  We heard of this dog who was “unadoptable” and George went to get him, without telling the boys.  We all sat on the couch while George opened the front door to release the dog.  He made a beeline to two squealing boys.  They didn’t care that he stunk – only that he loved them.  It took two days to housebreak him so he would “go” on command.  It just took time and dedication.  We had him groomed.  The groomer showed us the pelt she removed   from his back.  How that must have pained him every time he moved.  Truly the Lord wanted us to rescue him.  He attended every SAA meeting, sometimes “helping” from my lap.  Everyone loved Boomer.  When he died at age four from a fast acting leukemia, friends sent donations to the SAA in his name.   I just found the sympathy cards we were sent then.  What a blessing to read them again.  Here is one from a neighbor ”We’re so sorry about Boomer.  We can really feel your grief – we still miss Prince so after all this time.  God gave us these beautiful pets to love and he fills them with so much love for us.  We can see the wonder of God in each creature He has so wondrously made.  Each of our pets is so unique, with such varied personalities.  Boomer was blessed to have you love him.”  This was the beginning of the Boomer fund.  We knew how much vet care can cost as he had two blood transfusions plus other treatment, but the leukemia over whelmed his body.  Truly, we can say we empathize with those who have lost a beloved pet.


Here are a few suggestions for coping with the loss of a pet:

  1. Find a listening ear – one who understands your loss. If you have no one, talk to the Lord who understands our every need.
  2. Have a closure ceremony whenever you feel ready. We have many pets buried in our favorite spots on our property. Now we are in the city, so we had cremation and saved a collar and lock of hair from our dog. (Our vet sent home a paw print on a card for our last cat.)
  3. Give a donation to an animal organization that you trust in memory of your pet.
  4. If other pets in the house were bonded to the deceased pet, let them sniff the body and investigate. It helps to give them closure too.
  5. When the time is right, look for a new pet, to fulfill your need for a companion. Consider an older pet from a shelter or contacting a breed rescue group. Stay away from “free to good home” ads, pet stores, or ads offering several breeds of dogs available or Craig’s List.