Book Review: The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer

Summary from GoodReads:

The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer is a memoir that offers new and transforming insights into our relationships with companion animals. When Doug Koktavy reluctantly brought home two sibling Labrador retriever pups on his wife's urging, he was sure the dogs would create upheaval in his already hectic life. He could not have known the dogs would become cherished family members and take him on a wild ride that would change his life forever. The trouble began when Beezer, at age nine, was diagnosed with kidney disease and given ninety days to live. Doug, by then divorced and self-employed, tried to manage the downward spiral of his beloved pet the way he did everything--by controlling it. He called vet after vet, searching for hope. He spent hours online, researching treatments. He enlisted animal communicators to help him converse with the Beez. As Beezer worsened, Doug agonized over what he might have neglected in caring for him. Guilt crept into his life. Thinking about the future without his best friend, he grew frantic with fear. His legal work and his own health began to suffer. Yet, it was the caring for Beezer that eventually led to an awakening for this ego-driven attorney. Beezer needed subcutaneous drip treatments, which Doug administered in the evenings. As they snuggled on the couch during those sessions, Doug poured out his soul to him. He also began to listen to his buddy. Even as Beezer was dying, he was teaching Doug about life. The story does not end there. Not long after Beezer passed, the universe had another punch for Doug. Now Boomer was ill. Had Doug learned Beezer's lessons well enough? Could he meet this new challenge with acceptance and peace? Many books deal with the death of a companion animal and subsequent grieving. This groundbreaking memoir on thedying of a pet invites you to share the author's pain and discoveries during that difficult period between diagnosis and the last goodbye.

My Review: As many of you know, I am a HUGE advocate for all dog breeds and find that a lot of times I prefer animal company over human company.☻ So, I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. My first thought was, "Hey, someone who loves dogs and gets them just like I do."

When I got the book I read the back cover. Then, I sat the book aside unsure if I could go through his loss of a great friend (his dog). I mean, really, I'm the one that watches gory killing movies and shows without blinking an eye, but hurt a dog on some fake television show and I'm crying. So, there the book sat. I picked it up, a week or so later and read a few chapters, sat it back down -- finally I made myself finish it.

It's a wonderful book of the relationship all of us can have with a wonderful canine companion that we bring into our family. Our dogs are by our sides if we are sick, healthy, lazy, energetic, sad, happy, angry -- through it all, they love us no matter what.

When he brought home two Labs he thought they would add problems to his calm daily life. Quickly he learned that he hadn't brought home two dogs, rather he had added two loving family members.

Eventually Beezer becomes ill and is given ninety days to live. Doug calls vet after vet trying to find a solution to save him. He feared the loss of Beezer more and more, which took toll on his job and health. As he medicated Beezer nightly, he started pouring his heart out in conversation to him, learning so much more about himself.

As Beezer was dying, he was still helping his human to learn to live and teaching him to look into what life is really showing us.

After Beezer's passing, Doug learns that now Boomer is ill.

This memoir lets you read the pain that Doug is going through. To me, having lost beloved dogs {my kids as I call them}, this book was a really tough read. I cried and cried some more -- feeling every drop of pain with him. I can't even type this review tear free.

I hope I've learned whatever I might have been missing. I honestly don't know how I would cope to know ahead of time that I was losing someone I cared so deeply for.

This book, though painfully real, is a must read for anyone who has lost a beloved furry family member, as well as for those who have yet to. I think this is also a wonderful book for those that don't quite get a dog's real worth. I have to say, I haven't cried like I did reading this book since I lost my Achilles {black boxer} November 2008. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was watch him die. I spend thousands of dollars trying to save him, IV treatments and so much more. Finally I had to tell myself to quit being selfish and let him know it was OK for him to stop fighting, to stop suffering, just to be with me.

Pick up this book.

RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥

Pages: 310

Hardcover

Review copy of this book provided by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. In no way did the provision of the book affect the outcome of my review.