Judge denies Pittsburgh-area man’s bid to change name to Boomer the Dog after old NBC series

Pa. man’s bid to change name to NBC mutt denied

PITTSBURGH — A judge has denied a Pittsburgh-area man’s petition to legally change his name to Boomer the Dog.

Forty-four-year-old Green Tree resident Gary Guy Mathews says he filed for the name change in June because he’s a fan of a short-lived 1980s NBC television series called “Here’s Boomer,” which featured a dog that rescued people.

Common Pleas Judge Ronald Folino denied the request late Wednesday. He says it could have resulted in “confusion in the marketplace,” including in business records and public documents. He also says the name could confuse an emergency dispatcher during a crisis.

Mathews’ phone was busy Wednesday night, and he couldn’t be reached for comment on the ruling.

Information from: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, www.post-gazette.com