Dogs are known as man’s best and most loyal friend. Have you ever heard of Shep, Hachiko, Greyfriars Bobby…? Over the years, the touching stories about these dogs, who remained loyal until their last breath, are still told and remembered.
1. Greyfriars Bobby
When mentioning famous loyal dogs, the image of Greyfriars Bobby still remains at Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery. Bobby’s owner was a police officer and night watchman named John Gray, who lived in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital.
When John Gray passed away, Bobby guarded his owner’s grave for 14 years until his death in early 1872. Bobby was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery, not far from John Gray’s grave.
To commemorate Bobby’s loyalty, a statue of the dog was placed on a granite fountain. The statue of Bobby stands opposite Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery.
2. Leão
In January 2011, southeastern Brazil was ravaged by storms, causing catastrophic landslides. Entire villages were swept away as hillsides collapsed. This was the worst natural disaster recorded in Brazilian history.
Over 600 people lost their lives, including Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who lived in Teresopolis, a city near Rio de Janeiro, which was heavily affected.
Rescuers noticed Santana’s dog, Leão, digging in the mud where its owner and three other family members had been found and buried. Leão sat at the grave for several days before volunteers took it away, cared for it, and fed it.
When photos of the loyal dog spread widely on the internet and in the media, some people doubted Leão’s story.
Some speculated that Leão might have been a local dog resting beside a newly buried grave when the photo was taken. While this explanation might seem reasonable, it’s not the story we want to believe.
3. Wang Cai
Wang Cai was a stray dog found on a street in Chongqing Province, China. A kind person found Wang Cai, fed it, and took care of it.
Since then, Wang Cai started following its new owner to work every morning, patiently waiting outside the door for eight hours until evening. Wang Cai refused food from passersby and chased away other stray dogs.
According to Wang Cai’s owner, the dog’s behavior was puzzling at first since she had not trained Wang Cai to do anything. She speculated that Wang Cai might have been waiting for its previous owner. However, she was pleased with Wang Cai’s loyalty.
Locals were drawn to Wang Cai’s unwavering loyalty, and the dog was praised as a Chinese version of the famous dog Hachiko.
4. Bobbie the Wonder Dog
Bobbie was a 2-year-old mixed breed herding dog whose story caused a sensation in the 1920s. Bobbie got lost in late 1923 while traveling with its owners, a Brazilian family, on vacation in Indiana.
In February 1924, to the amazement of its owners, a thin, dirty, and bedraggled Bobbie appeared at their doorstep. Bobbie had managed to travel about 2800 miles (4100 km) from where it was lost in Indiana back home, enduring the winter’s cold for six months!
A report of Bobbie’s story in The Silverton Appeal was picked up and reprinted in newspapers nationwide, making Bobbie famous. The Oregon Humane Society investigated and confirmed the story based on testimonies from people who had encountered Bobbie along the way.
Today, a statue of Bobbie stands in front of its old home in Silverton.
5. Fido
Fido was a 2-year-old mixed breed dog from Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy. It was found injured in a ravine by a kiln worker named Carlo Soriani. Soriani and his wife nursed the dog back to health and named it “Fido,” meaning faithful in Italian.
True to its name, Fido began accompanying Soriani to the bus stop in the central square of Luco del Mugello every day, greeting him when he returned from the factory. One day in 1943, RAF bombed Borgo San Lorenzo, and Carlo Soriani was one of the casualties.
That day, Fido went to the bus stop as usual, but its joy of seeing its owner return never came again. Fido continued to wait at the bus stop every day for 14 years, until it died in June 1958. Fido was buried near Soriani’s grave.
To commemorate Fido’s loyalty, a monument was erected in Borgo San Lorenzo’s Piazza Dante.
6. Waghya
The most famous dog in Indian history, Waghya, belonged to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the vast Maratha Empire and an opponent of the Mughal Empire.
It is said that Waghya was Shivaji’s loyal friend and was greatly loved by him.
After Shivaji’s death in 1680, a grand Hindu funeral was held, culminating in his body being burned on a pyre. Legend has it that Waghya, seeing its master’s body engulfed in smoke and flames, leapt into the pyre, sacrificing itself.
In 1936, a statue of Waghya was erected at its burial site in Raigad, a rugged mountain. Since then, Waghya’s fame has spread throughout India, symbolizing lifelong loyalty.
Despite some doubts about the authenticity of Waghya’s story, it remains deeply ingrained in modern Indian culture, and the spirit of the story transcends factual accuracy.
7. Hawkeye
Jon Tumilson was one of 30 soldiers who died on August 6, 2012, in Afghanistan when their helicopter was shot down. Tumilson’s hunting dog, Hawkeye, attended his funeral in Rockford, Iowa.
According to accounts from many of the 1500 people present, Hawkeye accompanied Tumilson’s friend, Scott Nichols, to the platform where Tumilson’s body lay. The dog sighed and lay on the floor in front of the flag-draped coffin until the service ended. Hawkeye was later adopted by Scott Nichols’ family.
8. Lao Pan’s Dog
Lao Pan, a Chinese man living alone in Panjiatun village (near Qingdao), spent his final years caring for his mixed breed golden dog. When Lao Pan passed away in November 2011 at age 68, no one mourned him except his dog.
After his simple funeral, Lao Pan’s rented room was cleaned out, but his dog was nowhere to be found. It was later discovered at the cemetery, guarding its owner’s grave. People wondered how the dog had found Lao Pan’s grave.
Despite hunger and thirst, the dog refused to leave the grave. Concerned villagers brought the dog back to the village and fed it steamed buns, but it quickly took the food and returned to the cemetery. Villagers built a simple kennel beside the grave and regularly brought food to help it survive.
9. Shep
Shep was a dog in America during the Great Depression of the 1930s. A man in Montana fell ill and was taken to St. Clare Hospital in Fort Benton. His shepherd dog followed him into the city and waited at the hospital door, refusing to leave.
A kind nun in the hospital kitchen fed the dog while it waited, until the man passed away. His family, living in eastern America, requested his body be sent home.
On a day in August, his body was taken to the Fort Benton train station to be transported east. As the casket was placed on the train, a large shepherd dog appeared, trying to jump onto the train but was pushed away. The dog watched the train leave, then returned to the station.
Every day, the dog waited at the station, watching each train’s passengers with hope, despite often being shooed away.
Despite the summer heat and the harsh Montana winter, the dog remained, waiting for the next train. As news of Shep spread, people from far and wide came to see it, take photos, and try to adopt it, but Shep avoided them, returning to the station to wait.
Shep grew old over nearly six years at Fort Benton station. One winter morning, its legs stiff and ears less sharp, Shep didn’t hear the train approaching. When it finally did, it was too late to move out of the way. Shep was buried on a hillside overlooking Fort Benton, and the grave remains there today.
10. Hachiko
The story of a dog’s loyalty until death
Hachiko is perhaps the most famous loyal dog in the world. The legend of Hachiko has been told in many books and even adapted into films.
Hachiko was an Akita dog from Japan. His owner, Professor Ueno Hidesaburo, lived in Tokyo. Every day, Hachiko would accompany his owner to Shibuya Station and wait for him to return from work.
In May 1925, Professor Ueno suddenly passed away at work, but Hachiko continued to wait at the station every day, hoping to see his owner come back. Regardless of the weather—rain or shine—Hachiko remained loyal, waiting at the same spot. This loyalty lasted for 9 years until Hachiko passed away in March 1935.
Hachiko’s story deeply touched the people of Japan and the world. A bronze statue of Hachiko was erected in front of Shibuya Station to honor the dog’s loyalty.
This statue is now a famous landmark, where people and tourists often come to pay their respects and take photos. Hachiko is not only a symbol of loyalty but also a model of patience and unconditional love that dogs can provide.