Everyone knows that the most loyal animal on earth is the dog. A dog will be by your side through thick and thin. Dogs have gone into battle with their owners and lost their lives out of loyalty. The most wellknown story of a dog's undying loyalty is the story of Greyfriars Bobby out of Scotland. It is amazing to realize how deep the love of a dog can go for their owner. (See story below)

Recently in the Midwest in the U.S., a number of tornadoes ripped through several states of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky withi much devastation. In some cases entire towns were destroyed. But out of this devastation comes a current example of a dog's love and loyalty for his owner.

It took place in Melia, Ohio where a tornado claimed the life of a woman named Carol Forstes. Throughout the whole ordeal, her beloved pitbull, Kush, was by her side. Kush survived the storm and when emergency workers found Carol Forste's body in Ohio in the aftermath of the tornado, they also came across one of her dearest possessions, her dog, Kush, was still at her side. "Kush would not leave her deceased body's side...stood right next to her until they discovered her," said Dr. Dan Meakin, Kush's doctor.

For days after her death, Kush would not eat or drink but eventually started to take food with hand feeding. At first, doctor's feared the worst with his injuries, that he would have to be put to sleep. "He's ripped his ligaments which connect the lower bone the femur to the tibia and he's broken it," Dr. Meakin said. Kush will have to undergo an $1,800 surgery but doctors say he will survive now. But it will still take quite a while for Kush's heart to heal from the loss of his beloved owner.


Bobby - the Sky Terrier - was belonging to John Gray. John happened to be working for Edinburgh City Police and his little sky terrier dog was accompanying him everywhere. Frankly, this two were well known in the city for they never separated for couple of years. Unfortunately in 1858 John Gray suddenly died of tuberculosis. He was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard in the Old Town of Edinburgh.


Next morning after burial James Brown - the curator of the ground - found Bobby lying on the burial mound. Since it was not allowed for dogs to stay in the Churchyard, Mr. Brown had to case little terrier out, but not later then the next morning curator found Bobby on the same place again. For several days Bobby was driven out of the yard and for several days he was getting back to his friend's John Grey grave. The old curator was amazed by such tenacity, he took a pity on the poor dog and finally made it allowed for Bobby to stay. Since this time Greyfriars Bobby wouldn't leave his post even in the most cold and rainy days often barking at anyone who would disturb him from guarding his lost friend's grave.

For 14 years little sky terrier would not abandon Greyfriars Churchyard. Although he became famous and loved among the towns-folks there was no one to pay for his city dog license and Bobby was living in fact with a status of a common stray dog in danger of being euthanised. Luckily Lord Provost of Eginburgh (at that time Sir William Chambers) was also presidenting the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This noble man was a well known dog-lover and off-course he couldn't miss the remarkable story of a faithful terrier, so all Bobby's licensing fees were payed.

On 14 January 1872 Greyfriars Bobby died, by this time terrier was 16 years old, 14 of those years he spent missing his friend John Grey and guarding his grave. A year after Bobby passed away Lady Burdett-Coutts set a statue in front of a Churchyard to commemorate him. On 13 May 1981 a red granite monument was erected on Bobby's grave by The Dog Aid Society of Scotland. The stone reads: "Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all."