Tails of Topanga #2, Topanga Messenger, May 13, 2003

On April 18th, Tatsoi the white lab, a beloved friend of  the community and a fixture at the community house, was put peacefully to sleep after a brave battle with cancer. The cancer was discovered when Tatsoi  was rushed to the emergency hospital after eating chicken bones at the Baseball Awards picnic.
    Jimmy Rosenberg, Tatsoi's Dad, told us that Tatsoi was ten years old. "He had started losing his hearing. He was already slowing up, we thought arthritis. At the Baseball Awards day, he ate a bunch of chicken and was acting real strange so I took him to emergency. The x rays found the chicken bones, which they said was typical for his breed – getting into trash – but they also found the cancer. During the operation, they cut out part of his liver and he never really recovered from that. He did the best he could. He's buried on the property. We made him a nice little tomb stone."
    Tatsoi  was a classic Topanga character – lovable, mischievous and full of that Topanga community spirit.  Even his name had a wonderful story to it.  “We had an organic lettuce farm at the house and Tatsoi is one of the lettuces we grew. He used to seek that one out and eat it all the time so his name had to be Tatsoi."
    Tatsoi was a regular fixture at the Community Center. "We live next to the Community Center.  He was such a people dog and he'd go over there because he loved people so much...nobody knew me, everybody know Tatsoi. He was the most famous dog in Topanga."  Joe  Pileggi, caretaker of the Community House, spent some special time with Tatsoi. "I knew him six years. He would walk into my living room and lay down like he was home.  After events he would be the last one to leave.  He'd be in my living room laying down like he was home.  He'd be there with me at the end of weddings at two in the morning, just me and him at the end of the party cleaning it up."  
     Many  of us remember his performances in the Nutcracker.  Sherry Jason, director of the Topanga Ballet recalled that "He was on for three performances and was incredible, didn't miss a cue."   He was apparently quite a dedicated thespian.  "He seemed to be so interested.... we could see how he could be a member of the cast.  Jimmy used to stay in front of the stage on the ground with doggy treats and then Chuck Macintosh (Uncle Drosmeyer) had more treats. We'd lead Tatsoi onto the stage and Chuck would give him treats and Jimmy would give treats to get him off the stage.  He was under a big satin cape and he was super... He seemed to know that he had a really important part in our ballet. He seemed to learn it, get better with each rehearsal.  He was on for three performances and was incredible, didn't miss a cue."
    Tatsoi was a regular at Topanga Days, often around the stage, always mingling with the crowd, always with a nose for the goodies.  He was an expert egg thief at Easter, helping himself to an early brunch. Jimmy Rosenberg felt that Tatsoi "had a reputation. He used to steal the Easter Eggs. Tatsoi got really heavy but I hardly ever fed him. It was a challenge to keep his weight down.  We would have to be aware of key events and keep him in. He had access to the CH. It was his back yard."
    But he was a sweet, calm and lovable thief, always gentle around the play area with the children and always wagging his tail. (Tatsoi was never the best reader and couldn't read the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign). He is survived by Jimmy and Veronique and their two children and is sorely missed by all of us.