The Legendary Dog, Who Never Left His Owners Graveside, Was Remembered 150 Years Later

It is very sad that dogs are not blessed with a long life span when compared to humans. But then also some dogs are remembered even after decades or centuries.

Such dogs are memorized by having statues. One of such statues is of Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh, Scotland. The famous statue memorializes a loyal Skye Terrier dog.

The dog’s statue is a popular landmark for both locals and tourists. Recently the Scots remembered the famous dog on its 150 death anniversary. So who was he and why he was so popular that his statue was made? Bobby was a very loyal dog and according to the legend, he waited by his owner’s grave for 14 years after he died.

Bobby was the dog of a nightwatchman named John Gray. Gray died of tuberculosis in 1858 and after that Bobby was heartbroken. He spent the rest of his guarding his owner’s grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard, which is a church graveyard. In spite of the fact that the keeper of the grave tried to keep Bobby out or find him a new place, he kept coming back.

Though the dogs were not allowed in the graves, Bobby became famous among the locals for his unending loyalty. The locals were so moved that they made a shelter for him to live in. He left the grave only once a day when he went to Temperance Coffee House for a meal as he always used to visit it with his owner.

He spent 14 long years by the gravesite and he died on January 14, 1872, from cancer. Till the last moment, he was by the side of his owner’s grave.

After his death, he was buried in the Kirkyard not far from his owner. His graveyard read- Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all.

In order to remember the dog and his loyalty, a bronze statue was erected on top of a fountain and it was a famous stop for visitors to Edinburgh. There are several shops and pubs in that area named after Greyfriars Bobby. Many people come and take photos of the statue.

They even rub his nose which is said to be good luck. On his 150 death anniversary, locals took to pay tribute to this famous loyal dog. A group of schoolchildren took part in the memorial to Bobby and a bagpiper played music. Jack Johnstone who is a regional manager talked about the legacy of the dog. Really the dog was a legend.