Hachiko

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Hachiko’s loyalty to his owner became a sacred symbol in Japan, where a statue has been built in his honor.

The golden brown Akita was adopted by a professor of agriculture in 1924. The professor would ride the train to Tokyo Imperial University every day, and Hachiko would always leave the house to greet his owner at the station when he returned.

One day, when the train returned to the station, the professor did not. He had died of a brain hemorrhage while giving a lecture at the university. Still, Hachiko waited. And waited. At first, commuters at the station were unfriendly to the stray dog sniffing around. But a local journalist, who remembered seeing Hachiko with the professor, decided to do some digging. The journalist published the story of Hachiko shortly after, and commuters showered the Akita with treats and affection.

Hachiko returned to the station precisely when the train arrived for the next nine years, nine months and fifteen days, right up until March 8, 1935, when he died surrounded by train staff and the professor’s widow. He was 11.

Negao

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When the homeless man who cared for Negao was rushed to a hospital in Santa Catarina, Brazil, the dog followed the ambulance the whole way. Negao waited patiently outside the hospital, but his owner was never coming back out. Negao refused to budge.

He continued waiting for eight months, until finally, he was adopted. But he soon ran away from his new owners and returned to the hospital grounds. A different family adopted him, but again, Negao ran away and returned to the hospital.

A local animal charity eventually came up with a compromise. Negao would remain at his post, and they would return to the site daily to feed him and walk him. “As long as he remains here, we will give all the care, warmth and love he needs,” the hospital office says.

Capitán

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The German shepherd mix went missing when his owner, Miguel, died in 2006. Miguel’s family say Capitán eventually returned, sniffed every corner of the house, then took off again, wandering around their neighborhood in Villa Carlos Paz, Argentina.

The family didn’t see Capitán until they visited the cemetery where Miguel was buried. He ran up to them, barking and crying, and led them to Miguel’s grave. After the cemetery visit, the family tried to bring Capitán back home with them, but the dog refused.

Capitán continued living among the tombstones, where he was cared for by the director of the cemetery. The director says that every day at exactly 6 p.m., Capitán would visit the tombstone of his deceased master and sit on it. Capitán remained at the cemetery until his death in 2016. His ashes were scattered on top of Miguel’s burial site.

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo’s dogs

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Canadian Soldier Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed by a terrorist while guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier in Ottawa, Canada, in 2014. His beloved german shepherds diligently awaited his return, their noses peaking out from under the fence of his home.

The sight touched mourners who gathered outside of Cirillo’s home to leave flowers, photographs, and hold vigil. The dogs were reportedly adopted by Cirillo’s mother.

Masha

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Masha made national headlines after waiting outside of a Russian hospital for her owner, who had died of old age. She was cared for by passersby and hospital staff. Like Negao, multiple families tried adopting Masha, but the dog kept breaking loose and returning to the hospital.

“You see her eyes, how sad they are – it’s not the usual shiny eyes for when a dog is happy,” said chief doctor Vladimir Bespalov. “One day, and we very much want this day to come soon, our Masha will trust somebody.”

Eventually, a nurse “adopted” Masha, making her a little home with a bed in the corner of the hospital.

Huachi

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Huachi would run alongside his master, a university student in Cochabamba, Bolivia, as the man rode his motorbike to class everyday. In 2009, when the man’s motorbike was struck by a taxi, killing him, Huachi remained on the street corner at the site of the crash. Locals say he stayed there, howling and crying day and night.

As of 2014, Huachi was still on the street corner, but was being given lots of food and love by the area merchants, who became his sort of co-guardians.

Fido

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Italian worker Carlo Soriani named his dog “Fido”, which means “faithful” in Italian. Fido accompanied his master to the bus stop every day, where Soriani caught a ride to work in the Tuscan town of Borgo San Lorenzo. When Soriani was killed by bombs during WWII, Fido still trekked to the stop. The dog continued doing so for the next 14 years, until his death in 1958.

Like Hachiko, Fido became a national symbol of loyalty, and a statue was built in his honor.