In Memory of Boomer

Friends, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you about the passing of another longtime, beloved, Roxy dog. Sweet Boomer passed away yesterday. If you knew Boomer, you LOVED Boomer. All of us at Roxy will miss him greatly.

Here are some words from his owner/handler, Lisa Ament:

“I knew this day would come. I just didn’t know it would be now. We lost our sweet boy, Boomer, yesterday.

He was a friend to many—students at schools we regularly visited (I am so thankful he had his goodbye day with the tiny kindergartners in Amy Downes Bach’s class last week) and those we visited during times of grief or stress in other schools. He sparked smiles to patients, nurses, administrators, custodians, visitors and doctors at Doylestown Hospital (we had plans to be there yesterday).

The funny thing was, he was such a goofy dog that I never thought he’d even pass the therapy dog tests at age 4. Passed with flying colors. God had plans for this big boy. (I will always be grateful to Sean Diver for encouraging us to get certified and join Roxy Therapy Dogs—it was not on my radar and you told me I could do this).”

“He was loved by our huge extended family, including anyone who ever visited our house (he “brunched” with the ladies just last week). He greeted so many delivery people and mail carriers and always sat up straight (or jumped in the truck) to get his treat. He gave extra attention to our parents through any health recoveries and even visited my parents in the hospital and healthcare rehabs in Charlottesville several times.

Boomer loved lacrosse fields—from youth through high school to college. And even though he never made it to a professional game, he was featured on twitter by the PLL in his Archers jersey several times. That dog made people smile.

Boomer was known all over Penn State—was even smuggled up to freshman dorms (“I told the RA he was a therapy dog”) and walked straight into Mount Nittany Medical Center when Grant was admitted with post surgery infections (just act like you own the place and they won’t stop you!). He met (and approved big time) his future sisters when Brandon and Blake chose our Katharine and Christy to marry (Boomer had to approve and he did). He was the life of the party at many pre-game and post-game parties in Happy Valley (I try not to think of what he licked off the floors at 232 and Wren Pen).

And yet, even with all of the good he did for others…he will always remain my dear, sweet love of a sidekick. We were a team. He was with me through many joys, losses, and life changes. He drove with me to The Haverford School (4 hours a day for almost 4 years) in my old minivan (we even snuck him onto campus a couple of times—no dog rule). He held my hand when all three of my sons left for college and then moved on to their own adult lives. He nursed me through knee replacement, and in the past year, months of shingles pain and more recently covid.

He was the third component to anything Brad and I did. It’s hard to walk into any room, the patio, the yard, the garden (he loved eating the tomatoes and carrots), the pool (of course we ended up getting him his own lounge chair because he kept squeezing in on ours)—without seeing images and shadows of Boomer trotting along with us. I keep hearing him jump off the bed upstairs and then realize he’s not here. It’s my heart playing tricks on me. We are feeling broken, but so hugely thankful. We had him almost 13 years. He blessed our lives and made us better people. Rest well, good boy.”