Dog of the Month, November 2018: Boomer

At Bothell Pet Hospital, we like to think of ourselves as a family, and each client and patient who walks through our door becomes a part of our family. Just like stairwells in homes are filled with pictures of family members, we want to fill our blog with stories of the special fur family members with whom we get to work each and every day. And with that, we’re kicking off a new series: Cat of the Month and Dog of the Month.

Our first pupper to be honored as Bothell Pet Hospital Dog of the Month is Boomer, a terrier mix who was part of the Palacol family and ours for more than 14 years. Boomer stepped into all of our lives in August 2004, and brought us smiles and joys all the way up to his passing on October 24, 2018. This is Boomer’s story.

The Palacol family is made up of Mom (Vicki), Dad (Juan), and Daughters (Ashley and Missy). They’d had a family dog in the past, and Mom swore they’d never adopt another because his passing was too difficult emotionally. But children have a way of wearing down parents when they really, really want something. And Missy really wanted a Yorkie. As luck would have it, she saw an ad in the paper for a breeder in Snohomish, and the girls were able to convince Dad to go for a drive.

The “breeder” turned out to be a horrible, smelly, packed-with-dogs puppy mill. But good things come out of bad places, and tiny Boomer, covered in fleas and all, was theirs. Mom reluctantly held Boomer, and those no-adoption vows melted away, as did her heart, and little Boomer became her Honey Babes.

“Over the years, Boomer became BooBoo Boy, Sissy’s Baya, and Booyo, but Mom’s favorite was Honey Babes,” explain daughters Ashley and Missy, better known as Boomer’s Sissys. “Boomer always got kisses from Mom and his Sissys; however, Dad was always the sweetest with Boomer when he thought no one was watching. Dad would Eskimo kiss Boomer and pet his furry ears. His ear hair really gave him his personality and uniqueness, and it was quite special to Mom and Dad. We are so thankful to Cassie at BPH, who saved his ear hair for Mom and Dad to keep in Boomer’s memorial urn.”

Boomer’s personality could be described easily in one word: happy. He even looked like he was smiling most of the time. “Man could Boomer smile big!” remember Ashley and Missy. “His whole face would light up when he’d flash his pearly whites, almost like he was secretly laughing. When he was younger, Ashley would chase him around the house with a pair of metal salad tongs, and he would run and bark playfully, tale wagging in the air.”

That loving personality never changed, even when Boomer was diagnosed with diabetes at age 9 and went blind a few weeks later. “He successfully underwent cataract surgery, and, despite the hardship of the illness, remained happy, smiley, and active up until his passing,” explain Ashley and Missy. “He did always seem to be under Mom’s feet later in life. He was so attached to her—he followed her everywhere, just wanted to be near her.”

And why wouldn’t he love this family? Mom prepared boiled chicken—aka Chicky Chicky—for Boomer at every meal. Plus, Dad would play fetch with him every day, rewarding Boomer with mini doggy biscuits or even pork rinds. “So spoiled!” say Ashley and Missy, who enjoyed watching Boomer play with his beloved squeaky stuffed animals. “His favorites were a little green turtle and a blue octopus. He’d roll his back on them, which probably gave him a nice scratch.”

Spoiled? Perhaps. Deserving? Absolutely. Boomer was such a sweet dog, and all the staff at BPH became very close to the little guy with his regular visits for glucose curves. And we like to think of Boomer as a champion, because he was instrumental in the closing of that puppy mill back in 2004. When The Palacols brought Boomer in for his first visit at BPH and shared the story, Dr. Cleveland immediately reported the puppy mill to the Seattle Humane Society, and the organization was able to shut it down.

“Mom keeps a 4-inch-thick binder of all Bothell Pet Hospital receipts and documents. She’s very proud of that binder!” explain Ashley and Missy. “In the binder, we found Boomer’s very first discharge papers, dating back to August 2004.”

Boomer’s last documents are from October 24, when he was euthanized. The Palacols had been gone for two weeks, and Boomer was boarding at BPH. He almost didn’t make it, but he rallied and hung on until his family came home. Two days later, we all tearfully said goodbye to him.

Thank you, Palacol family, for being a part of our family for so many years. And thank you, Boomer, for filling everyone’s hearts with such joy. May you rest in peace.