If you ask someone in Edinburgh about friendship, they will likely tell you the tale of Greyfriars Bobby. There is even a fountain in the city with Bobby’s statue on top. Bobby was a dog who befriended a human. This is his story.

In 1850, a man name John Gray moved to Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a gardener, but he couldn’t find a job doing gardening in the city. Instead, he joined the police force as a night watchman.

The winter nights were long and John wanted some company as he made his rounds. So he adopted a small terrier named Bobby. John and Bobby were always together, walking the streets of Edinburgh and keeping the city safe. They were faithful friends.

After a while, John became ill with tuberculosis. He died in 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard. Bobby stayed by John’s grave all day and night. He never left, even in the wind, rain, and snow.

The keeper of Greyfriars tried to get Bobby to leave, but he refused. So the keeper set up a shelter for Bobby at the side of John’s grave. The only time Bobby left the shelter was when it was time for his midday meal. He would walk to a local coffeehouse where he and John used to eat, and they would feed him. Then he would walk back up the hill to Greyfriars.

Bobby became famous throughout the city of Edinburgh. People came to the gates of Greyfriars at one o’clock in the afternoon to watch him leave for his daily meal. They even fired a gun everyday at that time to signal that Bobby was on his way.

When a new law was passed requiring dogs to be licensed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh bought a license and collar for Bobby. Many people in the city pitched in to keep him fed and warm and cared for. Still, Bobby remained loyal to John. He stayed by his grave, keeping watch, for fourteen years until his death in 1872. His gravestone says, “Greyfriars Bobby – died 14th January 1872 – aged 16 years – Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”.

In 1873, the fountain with the statue of Bobby was put up across from Greyfriars Churchyard. The city will always remember this loyal dog and his devotion to his master. He was truly a faithful friend.