Tragic Outcome to Lost Dog Case

by Amanda Curtis,

Staff Reporter

September 4, 2022 was the beginning of "a very rare vacation" for Lewis County residents Barri and Keith Comer. The couple was headed to Florida and decided to board their dog, Boomer, with Paw Paw's Porch Park Avenue Pet Spa. They had been taking their dog, Oreo, to the spa every six weeks for a few years and trusted Tommy and Deborah to take care of Boomer. On September 11, on their way back home, the Comers received a call that would change their lives, and many others.

Tommy Wherry, owner of the Pet Spa, called the couple to inform them that Boomer had slipped out of his collar while being walked, and they were unable to find him. Immediately, friends, family and other community members got to work searching for the lost dog. Flyers, signs and banners were printed, countless social media posts were made by Wherry and the Comers and shared with hundreds. Tears were shed, doors were knocked on, leads were followed. Folks put their boots on the ground to look for Boomer to no avail.

That all changed when the couple received an anonymous tip on Saturday, November 26, informing them that their four-year-old, healthy Boomer had actually passed away on the 6th of September. "The anonymous tip was nothing I was expecting. I really thought I'd get my Boomer back, but I never will. They told me Boomer was dead. The first question I asked Tommy," Barri said, "was where is my dog buried? After a brief discussion, Tommy told me where he had placed Boomer on the side of the road. He did not say this, but a reliable source told me he did it that way so other animals would eat him."

"I'm devastated. He kept us up with hope he would be found. He said he thinks someone had him, and he would get to come home."

The Lewis County Herald reached out to Tommy Wherry, owner of the Pet Spa. His full statement is as follows: "This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. I've lied to my friends, my family and my community.

"In the afternoon of September 6, Boomer passed away at my shop. He was sharing a kennel with the youngest of the other dogs that came with him, up front, in the lobby area. Mom [Deborah] moved the two dogs to a kennel in the back room because Boomer was continuously barking and it was difficult to hear customers when they'd come in. That was somewhere around lunch. At around 1:30, I checked on them and they were both fine. Somewhere around 3:00 I was on a FaceTime call when mom approached me saying a dog had passed away. I got off the phone and sure enough, Boomer was gone. Mom had reached in to get the small dog so she could walk him and noticed Boomer didn't move. She shook him and he still didn't move. That's when she came and told me the news. I don't know how he died or how in one moment he was fine and the next he was gone...but he was.

"I was panicked and scared senseless. I didn't know how I was going to call these people, on their first vacation in years, and tell them that their dog had passed away. Then the fear of how this was going to affect my business hit me. In my mind, it would certainly shut me down. I had worked so hard to get the business where it was. These combined fears led me to make one of the stupidest decisions of my life. I thought it would be easier for me to tell the owners that their dog had simply run off rather than tell them he died. Anything was better than death. It would also affect my business, but if he ran off that's an accident...surely I would be most likely forgiven for an accident.

Yes his death was an unexplainable accident but still a death nonetheless and so much worse in my mind. So I made up the story that he ran off. But when I did that, I had to make it appear as if I was making an effort to look for him. So, I did, carrying the lie even further. Friends, neighbors or people in general would ask me about him and I'd be forced to lie to protect the lie.

"What made all this worse is that I like the owners. The shame I felt was overwhelming. I never thought I'd get caught, but the anxiety of living with this lie still led me to my doctor where they increased my medication for anxiety and depression . . adding one more as well to help.

"I've spent a lifetime building my name in this town. I haven't always been perfect, but I wanted to be known and remembered as a positive and productive member of my community. This decision has ruined that. Everything I wanted to avoid I'm still now having to face, but I've made things worse. I didn't mean to. I didn't want to. I took a coward's approach to avoid having to tell the owners that their dog had passed away. I took a coward's approach to protect my business I had worked so hard for. I was wrong and with all of my heart I'm sorry. I swear I'm sorry. It doesn't take away the wrong that I've done and it won't save my name or my business but nonetheless, I'm truly sorry. I had two options, and I chose wrong. I can't take it back no matter how much I pray and beg. I wish I could."

Boomer's owners would like to add, "We'd like to thank everyone who looked for our Boomer. We love our little Hohenwald. We'd also like to thank the businesses who posted flyers for months and to anyone who donated, even a lady who increased the reward (which he knew would never be given). We'd especially like to thank the supporters who contacted us every week to see if we had heard anything about Boomer. It kept us going. This is very overwhelming. We lost our baby."

At this time, the Comers expressed their intentions of filing a police report. Boomer's remains have not been found, and his owners would prefer not to share the location, so his burial place can remain sacred.