Online Memorials

Boomer Simmons

2000 - 2015

My Boomerang
Boomer my 15 year old Australian Shepherd mix died today, May 4, 2015. He was a remarkable friend. He had a gift that could only be God given, to bring peace , joy and love to literally hundreds of people. His empathy for others was so strong that he knew immediately who needed his love and how to provide that love.
Boomer was a rescue dog found on the streets of Winston-Salem, NC, with a flea collar that was growing into his neck. My ex-wife and I fostered him, but I did not want to keep him because we had too many dogs (Boomer, however had other ideas). I literally gave him away at adoption fair, but within three hours, the couple who took him called and said this was not the same outgoing dog they saw at the fair. He wasn’t mean, but he just sat there, still as a stone, stating emphatically that he wanted to go home! As for me, I cried the entire three hours, because I knew in my heart, I had made a huge mistake. It was destined for us to be together. Once he got home, he exploded with joy, so I called him Boomerang because he came back and Boomer for short because of his booming personality.
Boomer loved all people and animals, and they all loved him back! (He would have made a fortune being a Wal-Mart greeter.) He got invited into several banks over the years to carry in the deposits, and make withdrawals of dog biscuits. He captivated every girl or guy bartender in two dog bars, as he happily carried empty plastic beer cups back behind the bar to be thrown away and to get his dog biscuits. He was a construction dog who went to job sites and changed his greeting from our Hispanic workers from a scared “El Perro” to a happy “Hola, Senor Boomer.” He also was a sales dog that once customers met him, he was invited into their homes to lie under the kitchen table and of course get his treats. When my back and hips were bothering me, Cindy would let Boomer come into Karma Day Spa, where he would jump up on the table to get a massage from Bonnie before I got to have mine. Even our feral, barn cats would love on Boomer, as they knew he would not hurt them.
Boomer’s personality sparkled in any situation, but I I discovered what his true calling was strictly by accident. Craig, one of my best friends was stricken with MS and battled that disease for 17 years. As he became weaker, he had to be placed in a full service care facility. One day as I was visiting him, I saw a dog going down the hallway. I asked the nurse if I could bring in Boomer to see Craig. She said yes, but only on a leash. (Once again Boomer had other ideas). He promptly took the leash in his mouth and walked himself into the facility. Craig was laughing, and Boomer was wagging his tail nonstop. As we were leaving, Boomer very politely started going into other rooms bringing much joy to the entire wing,(patients and staff alike). He also had an uncanny ability to become more and more gentle with extremely ill patients. He knew instinctively what each person needed in terms of love, joy and peace..
When I moved to the NC coast, I watched Boomer repeatedly provide his love to patients at a free clinic and to a retirement home located Down East. Everyone at these places knew Boomer, the dog who walks himself, and has a tremendous loving heart. Boomer never let his “rock star” status go to his head, as he was a true working dog. He eagerly wanted to go see all his friends that wanted to see him.
In Kentucky, Boomer once again won over hundreds of patients, staff and families of patients. I was even stopped in a shopping mall in Evansville, Indiana and asked if I was Boomer’s Daddy. So many people asked how I trained him to do all the things he did. I would just smile and say I didn’t train him. He just knew what was needed in certain situations and he did it. If I was stopped by someone in the hallway, Boomer would continue to go into the rooms without me. He also worked at a hospice facility, where if the patient was comatose, he would then bring comfort to the family members in the room. He was truly a gift from God!
I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, because Boomer brought the same love, peace and joy to me during the roughest decade of my life. He literally was the rock that held me steady during a tumultuous and terrible time in my life. Our bond was forged through many, many wonderful times, but tempered through some very bad situations. There is an old saying, if I could only be half as good a person that my dog thinks I am, I would be a very good person. For me, if I can be half as good a person who loves others as my boy Boomer was, I would be truly closer to the person God wants me to be.
I love and miss you Boom Boom. Your spirit will always be with me.