Gateway Pet Gazette - June Issue

Bomber was a staple in the GPG family for over 11 months. PJ rescued him in the dead of winter when we weren't sure his 9 year-old body could make it another winter. Below, you will find this moving story from him new mom, Lisa.

"I'm not really sure how to describe the change that Bomber has brought to my life because my heart is so filled with love for this dog! It's almost impossible to put into words! The first time I saw Bomber, he was very ill. He immediately struck a chord with me which I was never quite able to shake. He was being temporarily fostered by my dog daycare along with another dog, Slim. Bomber was not available for adoption because he was so ill and needed to be nursed to better health before that could happen. Slim however was in good health and needed a home right away. So, Slim came home with me. But I never forgot Bomber. I continued to ask about him over the next few months because I just couldn't forget how he looked the first time I saw him. I went onto the GPG website and printed his photograph as a reminder. I knew that when he left the daycare he went to a foster home where a wonderful couple was nursing him back to health. And I was told that this would probably be his "forever" home. So I at least had some peace knowing that he would be okay.

Some 11 months after the first time I saw him, I was speaking to a friend at work who is also a big dog lover. We were looking at Gateway's site, and I saw Bomber's photo. I had never forgotten him, but somehow knowing he was in a good foster home had lulled me into complacency, thinking maybe he didn't need to be adopted. The minute I saw his photograph on the website, I said to myself, "What if I'm wrong? What if he really DOES need a home?" I couldn't sleep that night for thinking about it. I already had two dogs and a third would be a lot. But I somehow couldn't shake the thought that I was supposed to be his Mom - that Harper and Carl and I were supposed to be his "family". So the next day I filled out an application and began the adoption process with his foster parents.

I had NO idea how important Bomber was to the "fabric" and family of GPG! People EVERYWHERE love him, and his fosters told me many times that he helped so many younger dogs get adopted. He had become a real "ambassador" for Gateway! I just prayed that they thought I was worthy of being his Mom! But the day finally came that I was told I had been chosen. I was really nervous....I had never had three dogs! And two of them were very large, formerly "lifer" feral dogs! It was a big undertaking, but one I was sure I could handle. He came to me on December 26, 2009, and he is by far the best Christmas present I have ever received.

I cannot tell you what these dogs have meant to me. For the first time, I think I know what it really feels like to be a mother...to have multiple children/angels each with his own distinctive features and personality, and my heart is filled to the brim with love for each in his own special way. And Bomber was the final piece to the puzzle that is now this magical family of mine. I wake every morning to the most amazing toothless smile and thumping of a tail. I can hardly wait to give him a big hug. He is the most cheerful dog I have ever had, and he truly lights up my life every single day. For those of you out there who are uncertain, I can tell you that there is NO greater calling than to adopt an older dog. To give a home to a dog who has struggled his whole life is a blessing beyond compare and to quote one of my favorite movies, "The Blind Side", I'm not changing his life, he's changing MINE."