By Leonard Rizzo

He was born a little over three months ago across from where a good friend, Jean, has her hair done. Jean had a good home lined up for the cute yellow lab so our boy was given to her to raise and place. As he grew, Jean taught him tricks and manners and asked me if I would help with necessary vaccinations.

 

At two months old he went to his new home but the people were too busy and he was caged for 12 hours a day, so, back to Jean. Two brothers were interested but one worked a lot and the other had brain cancer. Not a good home, so, back to Jean.
At this time it was learned he may have parvo, a deadly disease unless treated early. Treatments were given by Jean through IV and Uncle Lennie paid for the last shots. Our boy emerged with a clean bill of health but now at three months old he needed a new home.

Boomerang became his name as he was bounced around so much. Please don’t misunderstand, Boomer hasn’t known anything but love in his short life and he returns it tenfold.

I convinced Jean the simplest way to find him a home was to turn him over to me and I would pay for him to be boarded until I could find him a proper home. That’s when I received some good news: Boomer would be excellent for the Service Animal Project, SAP.

I met Jean, Joe and Boomer down at Landrum Vet where he received a final exam and would be boarded till I set things up. By this time I was thinking of changing his name to Casanova as Boomer was winning new hearts everywhere he went.

The next day Linda Williams and Ann Goodheart from the SAP program met Boomer and me at Landrum Vet.

“Oh Lennie, he’s beautiful and perfect, but our puppy trainer won’t have room for him until at least one month,” they said.

“I’ll find a foster for him till then,” I explained, “Don’t worry, he will not spend all that time in a cage.”

The ladies just marveled at how beautifully Boomer behaved around other animals and people, and especially how he wasn’t distracted by outside noises or goings on.

“Look at the paws on him,” Ann said. “He’s going to be a big boy.”

That evening I called a dear friend who has worked with me on placing animals before, mostly Chihuahuas and Golden Retrievers. Danielle Scruggs is a vital part of my support system whose heart is bigger than her body. Boomer is, as stated, a yellow lab but I intended to call Dannie and kid with her.

“Dannie, I have a short haired golden that needs fostering and further manners training, and he is a SAP candidate.”
I’ve often stated that coincidence is God’s way of creating little miracles anonymously.  What I’m about to relate is the honest truth, word for word.
It was about 4:30 in the afternoon when I called Danielle and before I could say a word, this is what transpired.

“Lennie, I swear I was just thinking of you and I was about to call to see if there’s anything you need that I can do for you.”
I tearfully laughed and explained what my call was about.

“What time does Landrum vet close?” Dannie asked.

“Around five I believe,” I answered.

“I’m leaving now. Call them and tell them I’ll be there to get Boomer right now,” she said.

I again laughed. “I owe you big time girlfriend.”

“Right back at you,” came her reply.

Later that evening I received this email from Danielle Scruggs.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Boomer is beautiful, he’s perfect, he’s sweet, I love him, you’re right, he must be a short haired golden.”

Earlier in the day after Ann and Linda left Boomer and me at Landrum, we had a talk.

“Uncle Lennie, am I ever going to find a forever home?”

“Oh yes, Boomer,” I said hugging him close to me. “God has a special plan for you and you’re going to team up with a soldier who needs your special kind of love. That’s why you’ve been bounced around so much. He was making sure you wound up in the right hands to fulfill His plan.”

“God is pretty smart, isn’t He, Uncle Lennie?”  I squeezed this precious boy just a little bit tighter and exclaimed, “It takes some people a whole lifetime to understand that simple fact. You’re right little guy, God is pretty smart.”
Thanks for listening.