Pat was born in a litter of five on October 10, 2005, the Chinese year of the Dog.

The litter was from a mother who was abandoned while pregnant. Pat was sent with two other siblings to a care taker from which we learned about him. His original name was not ‘Pat’. He was named ‘Pocky’ after a Japanese popular confectionery. However, after seeing his majestic tail and learning about his character, we decided that a name for candy product did not suit him so we changed his name to  ‘Pat’.

We took Pat in when he was 6 months old.

At that time, his ears were floppy, sometimes one ear would perk up while the other would flap about, especially when walking.

We took Pat into our home to keep our other dog, Momo company. Especially on those days when we would be away most of the day. Momo was prone to skin rashes which disappeared when Pat arrived. Until recently, they were never separated. Pat seemed to take on the job of making sure Momo and the rest of the family were O.K.

Pat took an immediate liking to our family. We were surprised that he felt right at home on day two. He only misbehaved once when he chewed up one of my shoes. We attribute his kindness to the fact that for most of his life, he was never alone. Pat was always surrounded by a loving environment.

He was easily frightened by plastic bags blowing in the wind but was the first to bark when a stranger came to the door or when there were strange noises outside.

At times, Pat would retreat into the bedroom, just to be alone and seemingly to be with his own thoughts. He shied away from loud noises, slowly walking back to his room when I would be kneading dough for bread.

At eating time, Pat would lay down at our feet in the dining room. In the winter, it was a welcome foot warmer.

In a short time, Pat got larger, larger than Momo. His chest filled out, his ears stood up, and his majestic tail never failed to impress, like a sword poised in the air. However, he never outgrew his gentle nature.

Pat never bit anyone nor was he aggressive to any other dog. He was truly gentle which earned him the nickname ‘Gentleman Pat’.

Pat seemed to be an old, sensitive soul. He was able to sense the discomfort in others and was the first to check out human expressions of frustration and concern, usually rushing to the scene of a dropped plate or spilled food – “Are you O.K.?, Can I help?”.

Although he did not like cars and driving much, Pat was a trooper when we had to take long drives, relieving himself almost immediately after getting out of the car. In the winter of 2010, he moved with us from our cramped apartment to our newly built house in the countryside.

Even with that much more space, Pat liked to be close to us humans, sometimes planting himself in the middle of the kitchen while we were making supper, watching all that we were doing there. We called him the kitchen manager.

In the autumn of 2014, Pat was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his rear leg. After amputation, he lived a happy life on three legs until February, when the cancer spread into other parts of his body including his spine, causing paralysis in his hind quarters. That never stopped him from wanting to be with his sister, Momo.

On the evening of March 17, 2015, almost 5 months after amputation and just over 9 years old, Pat left this plane. It is fitting considering his gentle character and fighting spirit that he left us on Saint Patrick’s Day.

Pat’s body was cremated on March 18.

A while back last autumn, we received a cherry tree sapling from a neighbor to be planted this spring. Once the flowers bloom this spring, we will plant that tree and Pat’s ashes will be placed beneath it.

Pat will be missed, but not forgotten. The lessons he left with us will be an inspiration and touchstone in any situation which calls for kind, gentle, caring behavior. It was an honor to have been Pat’s human care taker.

Godspeed, Pat.