Paddy the Wanderer captured the heart of the city

A dog named Dash was given to the Leitch family in 1927, where he met Elsie. He was soon to become Paddy the Wanderer.

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In 1928 Bubby died of pneumonia and Dash was lost without her.

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Dash ran to the wharf, and then Ox, a wharf worker names him Paddy, after his old dog in Scotland.

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A taxi driver called Shorty Williams was driving his taxi along the water front, when he sees a lonely Paddy. He lets him in to his taxi.

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Paddy barked as the Kiwitea sailed on. He could smell a storm coming, but the crew on the Kiwitea didn’t believe him, because there was only one cloud in the sky. Then the storm came, and the Kiwitea was forced to stop at Greymouth.

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Danny was going to take a short cut to the boat, but the coal trucks were coming down the hill, heading straight for Danny. Luckily, Paddy grabbed his leg with his jaws, and dragged him out of the way.

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A school girl called Valerie Fitzgerald goes to the wharf after school with her friends to catch the big waves, and he joined in the fun. Valerie and Paddy became good friends.

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Paddy went to Sydney, but was not allowed off the boat. In the end he fell off, and then three sharks came. Luckily, the sailors were returning, and they saw Paddy, and hoisted him up in the net from the ship.

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On the 12th March 1935, the famous Paddy went missing. It was reported in nearly all the newspapers in Wellington, and in the other cities of New Zealand too.

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In 1935, Paddy was taken to a plane, and was flown in the open cockpit of the plane. He was greeted by nearly all of the people in the Wairarapa.

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In the year 1937, Paddy took his final breath, and died of old age. A huge funeral was held, and everyone mourned his death. Even the mayor was there!

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Some thoughts about Paddy

"We wish Paddy was alive today"

"Maybe one day there will be another dog like Paddy, but he wouldn't be able to be like Paddy because of the dog laws."

"We couldn't have another Paddy because no other dog would be special like Paddy was."