A dog's devotion

I am sure most of us have heard that dogs are man’s best friend. One can only appreciate and fully understand the meaning of this if he or she has kept a dog before. Recently, I watched a heart-wrenching movie about the relationship between a dog named “Hachi” and his owner,a University Professor.

The 2007-set framing story starts with 11-year-old Ronnie telling his class why his grandfather's dog Hachi embodies heroism. Parker Wilson, a University Professor finds the pooch on the local train platform one cold winter night. It's love at first sight. Sure that someone will claim the animal, Parker hauls it to the large home he shares with wife Cate. He put up various notices, trying to help the pup locate its owner but to no avail. Although initially reluctant to keep the dog, parker’s wife is ultimately persuaded that the pup should stay when she sees her hubby on his hands and knees as he models the art of fetching. The dog gets his name when Parker's Japanese colleague Ken, translates the tag on its collar as Hachi, the Japanese word for "eight."

After an unidentified length of time passes, Hachi appears fully grown and a bit more obedient. He accompanies Parker to the train station and returns again to escort him home every day. The town's many commuters, as well as station ticket agent Carl and hot-dog vendor Jasjeet , regularly witness the pair's mutual affection. When the day comes that Parker doesn't get off the train, Hachi is unable to process the notion that his master will not return. For 10 years, progressively more broken in body, he stands vigil at the station, his fidelity inspiring newspaper celebrity and subsequent donations for his care. Hachi finally gets to meet the spirit of his master after his death. What a moving story about a dog’s undying devotion to its master even after his death.

I have talked about my pet dog, Bambi in my earlier blog posting. Bambi is really a bundle of joy to all my family members. She never fails to wait at the door for us when we return home. Bambi sleeps with my mum and she will never go to bed if my mum is not home. Like Hachi, she is a faithful dog and indeed, man’s best friend. I cannot imagine the day when Bambi has to say goodbye to us. She is only three now and small dogs are known to have longer lifespan than big dogs. With proper care, I hope she could live to a ripe old age of perhaps 15 years old. She is part of our family and we try her like one of our siblings. To her, we are everything.