Everyone says that dog is man’s best friend and sticks by you no matter what. But do you really know how far a dog’s loyalty will go? Some dogs became famous for displaying fidelity to their owners that goes above and beyond. You may have heard of Hachiko’s story, the dog who waited for his master’s return even after his human had passed away. But there are many other canines whose exploits were extraordinary in some way. They did the unexpected, doing things that will astound you. Some saved their owners’ lives or stayed by their loved ones’ sides even after death. In order to honor the memory of a particular canine, many dog statues around the world have been erected, representing the dogs’ devotion to man. The stories below will surely make you cry. And if you are a pet lover, you may find yourself wanting to hug these dogs today. In this list, we have only the loyal dogs that have been honored with statues, although many other faithful dogs have existed in the world, and we really think each one of them also deserves one. So why not going to the already existing dog’s statue locations to pay tribute to them?
The Top 10 Famous Loyal Dogs in the World and where to find their statues
1 – Constantine “Kostya” – Tolyatti, Russia
The only survivor of a car crash, the dog Kostya, a German shepherd, left behind when his deceased owners were moved from the crash scene. People start to notice that dog, which was always on the same spot looking on the street and waiting. After some time, people built dog houses and tried to adopt him but with no success, Kostya didn’t want to leave his post hoping to see once more his dead master. In 2002, after 7 years waiting, he was found dead in the woods. The bad news and the story touched the citizens, which made and installed a billboard with the saying “Dog, teach us love and devotion”. In 2003, a bronze sculpture with Kostya’s head looking east was erected on the same spot the dog used to be.
Monument’s Location
2 – Bobbie the Wonder Dog – Oregon, United States
This story has a happy conclusion. We are talking about Bobbie, lost in the state of Indiana in a family road trip, this 2-year-old Scotch Collie have made unbelievable 4,500 kilometers(2,800 miles) solo trip to reunite with his lost human family in Silverton after six months walking. Not only because of the dog have traveled 2/3 of United States, but also, because he traveled over unknown territory, through wintry peaks, plains, and rivers and made it! The dog experienced a meteoric rise to fame, appearing on the news, magazines and even movies. Nowadays you can find in Silverton a replica of Bobbie’s house and a statue in his honor.
Monument’s Location
3 – Ruswarp – Garsdale, England
The story takes place in Garsdale. Graham Nutall was an active member of Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line, a group that fought against the Garsdale railway station and others from closure. Ruswarp was Graham’s dog and companion who followed him wherever he goes. One day Graham went to his usual walk on the mountains and never went back. After one week missing, people start to search for them but could only find Graham’s dead body 11 weeks later and by its side was Ruswarp, still alive and guarding the cadaver. The 14-year-old Border Collie was very week and died in the same day people found them. Today, you can see Ruswarp’s sculpture at the Garsdale railway station as if the dog is still helping his owner prevent the station from closure.
Monument’s Location
4 – Waghya – Maharashtra, India
“RaigadFort8” by Swapnaannjames at en.wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
The story begins with Shivaji, the powerful founder of the India’s Maratha Empire and one of the most loved kings. By his side, he had Waghya, his loyal dog. The tale says that in 1680 after Shivaji’s death, the dog mourned and jumped into his master’s funeral pyre and immolated himself. Today, even after a strong resistance the statue lies on a pedestal next to Shivaji’s tomb at Raigad Fort.
Monument’s Location
5 – Dżok (Jock) – Krakow, Poland
Pomnik psa Dżoka autorstwa Kattenkruid z nl. Licencja CC BY-SA 3.0 na podstawie Wikimedia Commons.
Dżok (pronounced as Jock) was a black-haired mix breed dog and probably is the most famous loyal dog in Poland. His owner, driving on a street in Krakow, suffered a heart attack and died. Dżok was left behind and he waited for his owner’s return for one year on the same place he was left. Later, Dżok accepted help from an old woman who was giving him food, moved to her house, and started to live a life with love and caring again. Not long after the re-adoption, the old woman died and Dżok was taken to a dog shed. After escaping from there, the dog was killed by a train. A local sculptor, supported by the people, created a beautiful monument for him and erected it in Krakow near Wawel Castle.
Monument’s Location
6 – Gelert – Beddgelert, Wales
The city of Beddgelert has a tomb and a statue for Gelert, their most famous loyal dog. The story, as written on the tombstone reads the following: “In the 13th century Llewelyn, prince of North Wales, had a palace at Beddgelert. One day he went hunting without Gelert, ‘The Faithful Hound’, who was unaccountably absent. On Llewelyn’s return the truant, stained and smeared with blood, joyfully sprang to meet his master. The prince alarmed hastened to find his son and saw the infant’s cot empty, the bedclothes and floor covered with blood. The frantic father plunged his sword into the hound’s side, thinking it had killed his heir. The dog’s dying yell was answered by a child’s cry. Llewelyn searched and discovered his boy unharmed, but nearby lay the body of a mighty wolf which Gelert had slain. The prince filled with remorse is said never to have smiled again. He buried Gelert here”.
Monument’s Location
7 – Greyfriars Bobby – Edinburgh, Scotland
Greyfriars Bobby” by Michael Reeveen:User:MykReeve
The most famous loyal dog in Scotland, Bobby, was a Skye Terrier that belonged to Jonh Gray, a night watchman who after death was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. The dog stood guard for 14 years over his master’s grave until his own death. Today, Bobby’s headstone is at the entrance to the Kirkyard.
Monument’s Location
8 – Hachiko – Tokyo, Japan
Hachiko was a golden brown Akita that used to wait for his owner Hidesaburo Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo, at the end of each day at Shibuya Station. For about 2 years, they kept this routine until one day Hidesaburo Ueno did not return from school, he had a cerebral hemorrhage and died. Hachiko kept the routine and waited his master for almost 10 years until his own death. Probably the most famous among the loyal dogs, Hachiko’s story of loyalty and devotion is remembered until today, not only by his statue at Shibuya Station but also by media references and movies like Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.
Although the statue at Shibuya Station is the most known, there are other Hachiko’s monuments including one made in March this year, 2015, on the 80th anniversary of the death of Hachiko. This new representation shows the famous loyal dog happily reunited with his owner, in a bronze statue installed at the University of Tokyo where his master was a professor (photo below).
Let us list the Hachiko’s attractions here:
9 – Canelo – Cádiz, Spain
There was an old man who Canelo was a companion. They were inseparable and Canelo accompanied this man wherever he went. One of the places the dog used to walk him to was the hospital as this man suffered from renal complications and Canelo always waited for his friend at the building’s exit to return home. One day at the hospital, his owner suffered complications during his dialysis and died. On that day, at the front of the hospital’s exit, Canelo waited, and the next day, and the day after. For almost 12 years, the dog kept the same routine waiting for his owner at the front of the hospital where he took him. Until one day, a car on a street nearby killed Canelo.
Canelo became a symbol of loyalty in Spain, loved by the people who mourned the dog’s death. Today in Cádiz you can see not only a monument but also a street named in his honor too.
Monument’s Location
10 – Fido – Florence, Italy
Fido | Photo found on A Path to Lunch
It was 1943 in the middle of World War II. While going back home, a man named Carlo Soriani saw an injured puppy on the street and decided to adopt him. The dog, grateful for his owner’s benevolence, started to accompany him to the bus stop where Carlo took the early morning bus to work and wait until evening when he usually returned. For the course of two years, they went on this routine. On December 30, 1943, the allies bombed the factory where Carlo Soriani worked and he died. In that afternoon, as usual, Fido waited to meet his master and every day after that, and for the next 14 years, the dog went to the bus station in the afternoon to meet him but Carlo never came back. What began as an act of benevolence of a man had turned out to be one of the most notorious proofs of loyalty in the world. Fido, which in Latin means “I trust” is the perfect example of why dogs are and will ever be the man’s best friend. More info