Statues of historical figures abound in Edinburgh, Scotland. Most are human, but one isn’t. Opposite the Greyfriars churchyard is a drinking fountain topped with a life-sized statue of a Skye Terrier known as Greyfriars Bobby. Bobby was said to have followed his master’s funeral procession and stayed near his grave for fourteen years, fed by well-wishers and protected from the elements by a shelter the caretaker put up for him. Once word of this got out, tourists flocked to see the real Bobby and still come to see his fountain statue today. Bobby died on January 14th, 1872, and a year later, an animal lover, Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, had the fountain statue put up to honour the little dog’s faithfulness. Due to public health concerns, the fountain is no longer operative, but the tale of Bobby is still going strong, despite attempts to debunk it.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-14424513
For a more in-depth discussion on that, visit:
https://roundthewatertrough.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/greyfriars-bobby-a-shaggy-dog-story/
Personally, I’m sticking with the original accounts.
