The Legacy of Beezer and Boomer by Doug Koktavy (Book Review 2010-72)

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 the dying of a pet invites you to share the author’s pain and discoveries during that difficult period between diagnosis and the last goodbye.