Patron Saint of Dogs and Dog Lovers: Handmade St Roch Medal (large size) on Chain

I designed and carved the original of the pendant and cast it in lead-free pewter (see last 2 photos for images of the process). This is a somewhat larger version of a medal also available on our site. Each medal comes on either an 18-inch or 24-inch chain with lobster clasp. Each piece comes in a felt jewelry pouch with a history card stating the following:"As a young man St. Roch (b. 1295) walked from France to Rome to help plague victims. In Rome, he caught the plague. He went into a forest to prepare himself for death. As he was praying, a dog came to him, a piece of bread in its mouth. Roch took the bread. The dog licked the plague wounds on Roch's leg, and they were healed. Roch ate the bread, and, brought back to wholeness by the dog’s gifts, he and the dog returned to Rome, where they comforted, protected, and healed the people. (Because of this story, Roch is often appealed to for protection during epidemics/pandemics.) The story shows both the bond between humans and dogs and