Boomer rang ... and the Animal Adoption League answered

Published in the Fort Mill Times
By Jonathan Allen Fort Mill Times
(Published February 27‚ 2008)

Needed: A good home for a good dog.

For the past six months, the Animal Adoption League of York County has been trying to find a permanent home for Boomer, a 50-pound, 3-year-old foxhound mix. An AAL member found Boomer wandering along a highway, severely underweight and terrified of nearly everything, said Marg Barnes, co-chair of publicity for the league.

For the past 17 years, the group, which used to be based in Fort Mill and had many local residents as members, has been fostering found pets until it can find permanent homes for them. AAL makes sure the cats and dogs it places have all their shots and are in a stable condition before going to a new owner.

"We don't have a shelter, [so] we foster the pets," Barnes said. "We end up pulling a lot from the York County Animal Shelter and some from the Mecklenburg County shelter."

Close to 100 members spread across York, Lancaster, Chester and Mecklenburg counties make up AAL. Often, it will take a cat or dog scheduled to be euthanized from a shelter in one county and find a home for it in another. Networking with each other and shelter workers is key.

The group works with several local veterinarians who often treat AAL animals for a discounted price. Unfortunately, Boomer has been diagnosed with a cataract in one eye, and the surgery to correct it will cost AAL close to $1,900. That amount would severely hamper the group's ability to help other pets, so it is collecting donations specifically for Boomer's surgery, according to Beth Kelly, an AAL member who fostered Boomer for several months.

"He's a pretty calm dog, but he can escape fences if they're not at least six feet high," Kelly said. "I had a privacy fence so we never knew about that until we had adopted him out to a new family."

Because of Boomer's penchant for jumping fences, the family couldn't keep him. Kelly had moved into an apartment after Boomer left her home, so another member is keeping him now. The group only recently learned of his cataract. Kelly said AAL is committed to paying for Boomer's surgery.

So far, it has collected around $500 specifically for Boomer. Anyone who wants to help can send a donation to Animal Adoption League of York County, PO Box 2453, Rock Hill, SC 29732. Include a note directing it to Boomer's fund, Kelly requests.