Across the world, statues have been erected to honor animals that have left a lasting impact on human lives. Some were beloved pets known for their unwavering loyalty, like Greyfriars Bobby and Hachiko, while others, like Laika, became symbols of scientific progress. These are eleven heartfelt stories behind statues honoring beloved animals.
1. Greyfriars Bobby
This statue can be found in Edinburgh, Scotland. Bobby was a Skye Terrier or Dandie Dinmont Terrier bought by John Gray, a night watchman. In 1858, Gray died of tuberculosis, and Bobby spent 14 years guarding his owner’s grave until his own death on 14 January 1872. In 1873, a local aristocrat, who was touched by the dog’s loyalty, paid for a life-size statue of Bobby.
2. Fido
The statue of Fido is in Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy. Fido was a stray, Italian pointer crossbreed who was taken in by Carlo Soriani, a brick worker from Tuscany, in 1941. Fido would follow his owner to the bus stop every day and await his return. In 1943, Soriani sadly passed away, but Fido kept coming back to the bus stop every day for years, waiting for Soriani to return.
3. Hachiko
This statue can be found in Tokyo, Japan. Hachiko, an Akita, belonged to a Japanese professor named Hidesaburō Ueno. Hachiko would greet his owner at the Shibuya train station every single day. But one day, Ueno sadly passed away from a brain hemorrhage. Just like Fido, Hachiko showed up at the train station every day, waiting for his owner to return.
National Attention
The story of Ueno and Hachiko gained national attention after one of Ueno’s former students wrote articles about Hachiko’s incredible loyalty to his owner. Local brought the dog treats until he passed away in 1935.
4. Kostya
Kostya was a German Shepherd who was found on the edge of a highway in 1995 in Tolyatti, Russia. It was soon discovered that his family had passed away in a car accident along the same highway, and he was trying to find them. Many locals tried to take Kostya home, but he would always return to the same highway, looking for his family. People soon built dog houses for him and brought him food until he passed away in 2002. His statue can be found in Tolyatti, Russia.
5. Mrs. Chippy
Mrs. Chippy was a male ship’s cat that accompanied the crew of the Endurance during the trans-Antarctic expedition in 1914. The cat was said to have a larger-than-life personality and soon became a favorite among the crew. Sadly, Mrs. Chippy died in 1915 when the Endurance ran into severe difficulties and had to be abandoned. His statue is in Wellington, New Zealand.
6. Towser
Towser was a cat who lived in a whisky distillery in Scotland from 1963 to 1987. She was used to solve the distillery’s mouse and bird problem. She was said to have killed about 28,899 of these pests. Her statue can be found in Perthshire, Scotland.
7. Tombili
Tombili, whose statue is in Istanbul, Turkey, was a street cat who liked to sit on his favorite perch and watch the residents of Istanbul go about their day. He sadly passed away in 2016, and residents petitioned the city to commemorate Tombili’s memory. Soon, a local sculptor was commissioned to build a memorial of Tombili.
8. Laika
Laika might be the most famous animal on this list. She was a Russian mongrel who made the first-ever manned journey into space in 1957. In November 1957, she made it to orbit alive but died soon after because of the heat. Her statue can be found in Moscow, Russia.
9. Monument To Laboratory Mouse
Over the years, many laboratory mice have died in the pursuit of technological progress. Mice have been used in research since the 17th century! In 2013, the Monument To Laboratory Mouse was unveiled in Novosibirsk, Russia, as a small tribute to the role played by mice in research.
10. Monument To Mosquito Fish
The mosquito fish is a small species that mainly feeds on mosquito larvae. Between the 1920s and 1950s, it was introduced to various regions as a method to control mosquito populations and combat malaria. This small fish helped eliminate malaria in Sochi, Russia. The Monument To Mosquito Fish was erected in Sochi, Russia, to commemorate the program’s success.
11. Het Zinneke – Brussels, Belgium
The Het Zinneke is a cheeky statue that was made as a tribute to Belgian folk humor in 1998 in Brussels, Belgium. Zinneke translates to “mutt” in English. In 2015, this statue was unfortunately damaged by a car, but it was soon restored by the original artist, Tom Frantzen.
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