A lovely postscript from Daniela Caride.

I make no apology for this being the third day on the theme of the wonderful, loyal Akita dog, Hachikō.  On the 31st I wrote about the American film that in modern style echoed the beautiful, original Japanese film of over 80 years ago.

Anyway, Daniela Caride, of the blog The Daily Tail, added a lovely comment to that first post and it deserved being published in full.  Here it is:

I sobbed for two hours straight watching “Hachi, a dog’s tale” (I still have a headache) — a movie inspired by the real story of Hachiko, an Akita dog who achieved international fame for his loyalty. The dog waited for his deceased owner for nine years at the train station.

I realized that Hachi became a symbol of loyalty not because he was better than any other dog. Dogs are exceptionally loyal if treated with love and respect. But nobody offered Hachi a loving home during the long years he waited for Professor Ueno. It broke my heart. So I wrote the poem below.

I humbly ask you to send this post to every person you know who may be able to find a home to a pet in need. Together we may be able to ease the pain of homeless animals like Hachi, who ask for so little and give back so much.

Hachi waits

By Daniela Caride

Hachi waits at the train station
The dog waits for nine minutes
It’s after five
It’s time
And the professor doesn’t arrive

Hachi waits for nine hours
Nine days
The professor is late
But the dog doesn’t mind
At the train station he stays

Hachi waits for nine months
Nine years straight
He’s convinced the professor is really late
But the dog doesn’t mind
At the train station he stays

Tired of old age, not tired of his long wait
Hachi finally closes his eyes
And finds his friend
In his deepest dreams inside
At the end

But Hachi still waits
Even after he died

He waits on the streets of every town
At all the neighborhood pounds
Under the skin of every dog around
For someone to rescue him

To give him
A name
Water
Food
And a home
Where love abounds

Well done, Daniela. That is beautiful.

By Paul Handover

• Dog lessons
• People and their pets
• Poetry