MANCHESTER, NH – A politician, a priest and a lawyer walk into an animal shelter.
No joke.
And no coincidence that all three were named Pat Long, or that they walked into the Manchester Animal Shelter on Tuesday at the same time for a photo op with a cat, also named Pat Long.
The Pat Long x 4 moment was arranged by Ward 3 resident Jen Drociak, who was alerted by her dad, Tom Drociak, that there was a cat at the shelter named Pat Long.
“My dad was just perusing the available cats online when he spotted Pat Long the cat. We both share a love of local government and watch all of the city meetings on MCTV so he knows all the players,” said Jen Drociak.
He thought his daughter would find it amusing, and she did. So amusing that she shared the photo with Alderman Pat Long.
Then, she seized the quirky moment.
“I messaged him again and asked if he’d be willing to pose for a photo with the cat to use to help raise money for the shelter, which is celebrating 25 years with an expansion project.
But wait, there’s more.
Alderman Pat Long thought it would be even more fun with more Pat Longs. So he invited his sister, Rev. Patricia Long, who serves as pastor at Nahant Village Church in Mass., and happened to be in town visiting their other sister (not named Pat Long).
And he invited the “other Pat Long” in town.
“I was at a Dem breakfast and Pat Long, the attorney, had taken an ad out in the pamphlet saying something like ‘my name is Patrick Long, an attorney – not to be mixed up with this Patrick Long,’ and he had a photo of me that said ‘If you need a pothole fixed you call this one, and if you need an immigration attorney, call me,” Alderman Pat Long said.
None of that explains how a cat named Pat Long landed at the shelter in the first place. For that part of the story, we asked State Rep. Amanda Bouldin.
“Late last year we started to hear a lot of meowing in our neighborhood. Our neighbor had taken in one stray already but there had been sightings of other cats. I went searching one day and discovered a gray cat living under our back porch. I left him food and water almost every day, and something was eating the food while I was gone, but I could never tempt the poor guy out from under the porch in my presence,” Bouldin explained.
But then one day in early January, when the weather forecast was calling for sub-zero temps, Bouldin said her family agreed it was time get the stray cat out of the elements “before he froze to death.” They were able to borrow a trap from the Manchester Animal Shelter that they set up in the backyard and some food. Within 10 minutes, the cat was caged.
“I brought him to the shelter the same day. He was very unhappy to be in kitty jail. He clawed the metal walls of the trap so much that he made his little paws bleed. But despite his opinion of the shelter, the nice folks took him in and gave him the space and time he needed to become adoptable,” said Bouldin.
She had already named the cat after her favorite Manchester Alderman and fellow state rep.
“Pat the human is really special. He is so kind and compassionate. He visits encampments and offers help to people, but he is also very understanding if they decline assistance. He knows everyone and can think of all kinds of solutions. Need a job? Need a ride to replace your lost driver’s license? Need a place to sleep? Pat the human is your best resource. That’s why he’s my favorite Manchester Alderman. I think one day many things will be named after him, but why not start with a cat?” Bouldin said.
There is also a slight plot twist involving a fifth Pat Long.
Because it took a while for the shelter cat-whisperers to work their magic on Pat Long the cat, who went into the shelter looking a lot like Grumpy Cat, Bouldin figures nobody thought to ask her why the cat was named Pat Long. Likely someone decided the name was picked by a NASCAR fan who follows Pat Long, the popular race car driver.
According to the Petfinder description of Pat Long the cat, he’s “friendly, playful, funny and independent,” likes other cats but isn’t big on kids. Drociak and every Pat Long in town are hoping someone out there has a Pat Long the Cat-shaped hole in their heart they’d be willing to fill with a cat that comes with a unique back story.
To donate to the shelter, click here.
