Shep's memorial and his boundless loyalty (8 photos)

A small town in Montana immortalized the memory of a dog who waited at the train station every day for his owner to return.





This dog has become the unofficial mascot of Fort Benton, lives in the city center and waits for an owner who will never return. And it reminds people of those for whom we are the whole world.



Fort Benton, Montana

In the summer of 1936, a farmer from Montana fell ill. He was taken to St. Clair Hospital in Fort Benton. He was followed by his faithful shepherd, Shep. While the man was lying in the room, the old dog did not leave him a single step. Touched by the animal's devotion, the nurses fed him scraps from the hospital cafeteria. When the man died, his family decided to send the body back home. And even then the shepherd did not leave his man and followed the coffin to the railway depot. Shep whined as he watched his master's body being loaded into a freight car and taken away.





Over the next five and a half years, Shep came to the station and waited for his owner to return. Four times a day, without passes, Shep rushed to the station and literally scanned the exiting passengers, quickly and carefully looking at each one, looking for his person. Despite being homeless, Shep became a beloved resident of the small town and was looked after by the station workers.



Rumors of the loyal dog at Fort Benton spread, and Shep became something of a celebrity of the era. He was shown as a miracle on television shows. Travelers even decided to make a considerable detour to see him at the station. The children sent him gifts for Christmas. Some even tried to take him away and give him a new home. But Shep never showed more than a passing interest in any of his fans. He was a single dog.



In the end, it was his boundless devotion that destroyed him. On the morning of January 12, 1942, he was waiting for the 10:17 train as usual. His hearing had long since failed, and his paws were affected by arthritis. And the dog was hit by an arriving train.



Shep was buried on top of a hill overlooking the train depot. Hundreds of people attended the ceremony. The Great Northern Train Company commissioned and paid for a wooden figurine of Shep and a plaque with his name to be placed on the hill for all to see.



Over the years, interest in the ever-faithful Shep gradually faded away. His grave fell into disrepair. But in the 1980s, a group of local historians and public organizations cleaned up the burial site. Fort Benton restored its mascot and showed its love for Shep by erecting a new monument in 1994. This is a metal statue of a faithful shepherd dog that stands on a railway overpass in the city center. The dog looks hopefully at the Missouri River. His memorial is surrounded by an octagonal courtyard paved with bricks dedicated to other beloved lost animals.