Patches Howlett
October 21, 2013 - October 6, 2019

Dear Family, Fans and Friends,

It's me Patches....the amazing pup who was rescued from the Smelter in Claypool, Arizona where I was on the run for 2 plus years. Thankfully, many of the people who work there took a huge interest in me and left food and water to keep me alive. WOW! That was so good but I was too afraid to let them catch me....until Lucky Dog Rescue got a call about me and they called their friends Desiree and Kim, who are excellent dog trackers and trappers (AZ Rural Lost Dog Rescue). After a couple of nights, their magic worked and they captured me! That was the beginning of my amazing next chapter!

It is October and a big month.....the one year anniversary of when I was 'captured" (aka rescued) is the 21st....and also my unofficial birthday so that would make me 6 years old and of course it is fall, my favorite time of the year because it is cooler and the smells are different and I just like it.

I have had an amazing 11+ months. I met many people and lived in a real house and slept in a real bed and had rotisserie chicken and rice every day and sometimes shrimp, a cheeseburger or a burrito ( I LOVE burritos!). I took some road trips including two big ones back to visit my family at the smelter. We finally got to meet up close and they held me for the first time.....Oh how I love being held! Why or why was I afraid to let them catch me??? Oh yes, my smelter family had a HUGE Christmas party just for me with tons of presents ....they filled our car all the way plus I ate lots of jerky and cheese (which made for some super stinky farts that night...HA!!).

I made many new friends this year.....lots of people I met in person plus the ones who wrote to me on Facebook and email from my pup-dates. We met children and big people on our morning walks and I barked at every single dog I saw....all while fiercely wagging my skinny tail! I chased birds, bunnies and lizards and caught a few mosquitos. In cold weather I snuggled under the covers of a big bed and also got to wear my sweater collection from my Christmas party....fashionista I am!

Sandi has been my mom and she has done a pretty good job.....sometimes I know it was hard for her as I really gave her a time with those blue puppy pads...thank you David for keeping us supplied with puppy pads, chicken and more!

Well, you know during my first visit to the doctor almost a year ago, they discovered I had some health issues. They called it lymphoma which is something a lot of dogs and people get. Bad news -- no cure. Good news -- sometimes medicine can slow it down.. At first they thought I would only live about 3 weeks and then they figured out the right medicine and I did great...I had to go to the doctor a lot but the techs there are super nice and Benny the house cat only slapped me around a little bit...he is much bigger than me and has that smug catitude that some felines have!!!!

So, here we are.....that lymphoma I mentioned....well, it came back and when it did, it was worse. The doctor tried a new medicine but it did not work. This last week has been kind of hard and I did not eat or drink much plus I started to feel bad. Sandi got some special medicine drops to be sure I did not hurt. I had hoped to visit my smelter family later this month but that won't be happening.
It was all finally too much so I took my last breath at 1:45 Sunday afternoon, October 6, while resting on our big comfortable bed. I gently stepped from one world to the next as I crossed that Rainbow Bridge that you have heard about. Sandi told me that when that time would come, she knew lots of wonderful dogs that would meet me and sniff me all over to get the scoop on what is happening down here....so that is what happened....I have a huge new pack of all kinds of animals and no need to bark at any of them except for play time!.
Some of you will be sad and I don't really understand that. I had an amazing and adventurous life and I am probably the smartest dog you will ever know. If you doubt that, remember how I tricked the ware house people when I snatched that big bag of burritos off their table and they called the smelter security sheriff to do an official investigation with video footage to identify the thief. HA!!!!!!!!! And then when I was able to outsmart the very clever trapper women at first by getting their bait food without being caught....more HA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something you may not know about me is that I sing....Sandi and I would do howling duets when she came home as I was scolding her for going to work AND happy to see her all at the same time. She was never able to video me so my talent went undiscovered....trust me, I am a soprano! I may also be the only dog you know with a personal assistant who takes dictation....and cooks, cleans and cuddles. We were together for 11 months and 1 day.

I am a grateful pup and have so many people to thank. I know I am forgetting some names but here are some of my human pack who have made these last couple of years amazing for me....Dee, David, Michelle, Seaneen, Larry & Sherry, Lou, Alex, Kim, Desiree, Nicole, Crystal and Sandi.....plus all of you who have cheered for me all along..

You have done so much for me and all my needs, wants and wishes were more than met. Please continue to help other dogs who need homes and families. Not just the pretty ones, but all of them! I know that while you think you may be rescuing them, it could be that they are rescuing you.....Life is interesting like that.

So it is goodbye for now. .Know that I will be on that Bridge as part of the welcoming pack for your pets and you when that time comes.....do not hurry though as you are needed where you are. When you look up in the night sky, I will be that super bright star twinkling for you.

Sniffs and snuggles from your forever friend, a very lucky Lucky Dog,
Patches AKA The Patch, Little Monkey and Punkin (a few of my alias names)

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