WELLINGTON, New Zealand — During the Great Depression, the streets of Wellington were graced by the presence of an extraordinary Airedale Terrier known as Paddy the Wanderer, who remains beloved more than eight decades after his death.
Paddy often greeted sailors at the port and accompanied them as a stowaway on their coastal steamers. His friendly demeanor made him beloved among cabbies, workers, and seamen, who fed him and took turns paying for his dog license each year.
The ginger and brown pooch’s adventures and unwavering loyalty have left an indelible mark on the city’s history.
“Ever since people can remember him the wanderlust was strong in Paddy,” The Evening Post wrote in Paddy’s obituary. “By air, land, and sea, in the past ten or twelve years, he travelled all around the New Zealand coast and to many inland towns, and even further afield. He was one stowaway who was greeted cheerfully whenever he came aboard. He always came back to Wellington as his headquarters.
“He acknowledged no owner,” the newspaper added. “He was the friend of all who work about ships or the waterfront, and fraternised with them as an equal.”
According to The Evening Post, Paddy was given to the daughter of Mrs. R. Gardner of Wellington by P.B. Mason, a horse trainer from Christchurch, and may have originally been named Dash. After the child tragically died of pneumonia 11 years earlier, Paddy ran away and earned his wanderer nickname.
Throughout his travels, Paddy, also nicknamed “The Irish Flying Dutchman,” crossed the Tasman Sea numerous times and even flew in a Gypsy Moth in December 1935. Rumors circulated that he had made it to San Francisco and back.
The Wellington Harbour Board formally adopted Paddy, bestowing him the title of Assistant Night Watchman In Charge of Pirates, Rodents and Smugglers’.” His adventures were so captivating that he nearly fell victim to a dognapping scheme by jealous citizens of Auckland.
Following a cold snap, Paddy died on July 17, 1939, at Harbour Shed No. 1, and his death made headlines worldwide. His funeral was grand, with 12 taxicabs and a traffic officer leading the procession.
The city of Wellington came to a standstill to honor him. The Ladies Auxiliary of the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) collected donations for a memorial in his name.
Today, a memorial drinking fountain featuring his bronze likeness stands on Queen’s Wharf, opposite the Wellington Museum. It includes a drinking fountain for humans and one for canines.
Paddy’s many friends funded the fountain. It included stones from London’s Waterloo Bridge, which was bombed during World War II.
A life-sized statue of Paddy is also on display in the Wellington Museum, which renews his registration every year. The canine’s story has been immortalized in three biographies, including Dianne Haworth’s 2007 book, “Paddy the Wanderer.”
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