Tear Jerker
Much of the appeal of dog ownership is the loyalty of dogs to
their owners. All dog owners recognise joy in their dogâs
expression when they return home after a short absence but
there are stories where a dogâs devotion to its owner has been
remarkable.
Perhaps the best known story of canine loyalty is the story of
Greyfriars Bobby, a small shaggy terrier owned by a farmer in
Scotland.
When the farmer died in 1858 Bobby followed the funeral and
stood, whining softly, as the coffin was lowered into the
grave. As the mourners turned away Bobby did not follow, but
lay there with his eyes fixed mournfully on the grave. He
remained there all night and the next day was discovered, wet
and cold, by the sexton who drove him away. That night, when
doing his rounds of the cemetery, he found the little shaggy
dog had returned and although soaked to the skin and shivering
was huddled against the same grave. The following morning one
of the grave diggers recognised the dog as belonging to the
farmer who was buried there.
The story of the little dog was told in the bar of the local
inn and patrons arranged shelter for the dog and provision of
table scraps. The story captured the imagination of the public
after being written up in an Edinburgh paper and people crowded
to the churchyard to see Greyfriars Bobby.
Bobby learned to go to the Inn at noon every day to be fed a
plate full of table scraps but would return to the churchyard
to take up his vigil.
Bobby was declared a stray and was about to be impounded when
the Innkeeper guaranteed his yearly licence fee and accepted
responsibility for the dog. The Mayor of Edinburgh presented
Bobby with an ornate collar which had been purchased from money
donated by the public and many artists sketched or painted
Bobby.
On the 14th January 1872, Bobby was found dead in his bed along
side his masterâs grave. For nearly fourteen years he had kept
his vigil and no-one knew how old he was when the farmer died.
Edinburgh mourned Bobby, its greatest tourist attraction, and a
memorial was erected in the churchyard in his memory.
Author : Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia
David in Ballarat
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