When Indian teenager Bhaskar Shri passed away in a car accident, his loyal dog Tommy refused to leave his graveside for two whole weeks. The sweet old canine reportedly went without food the entire time, guarding the grave in the outskirts of Chennai city through 15 hot days and freezing nights.
Bhaskar was a construction worker who loved dogs dearly – he had adopted Tommy five years ago and the pair of them quickly became inseparable. When Bhaskar became victim to a terrible road collision, Tommy was heartbroken. The dog simply refused to part with his master and mourned by his graveside for 15 days.
Emaciated Tommy was finally rescued a fortnight later by Dawn Williams, an animal rescue officer at the non-profit Blue Cross of India. “I first spotted the brown dog sitting on a fresh grave one evening as I happened to walk past in the first week of August, but at the time I didn’t think anything of it,” she said.
Photo: Blue Cross of India
“But on August 13 I was in the area again while on a different rescue mission and saw him again. He was sitting in the same spot in the same position. It looked like he hadn’t moved for weeks.”
“I could see that he was in a disturbed condition,” Dawn explained. “He was famished and I’m certain he had tears in his eyes. I gave him water and biscuits but he refused to move. Then, with my teammates, I walked around the area and asked locals if they knew the dog.”
The locals explained Tommy’s condition – that he was guarding his master’s grave and that nobody could make him budge from the spot. Finally, Dawn managed to track down Bhaskar’s mother, Shrimati Sundari, also a construction worker.
Photo: Blue Cross of India
“When Tommy saw her, he jumped on her and was licking her before he rested his face on her feet. It was obvious he knew her,” said Dawn. According to Sundari, Bhaskar and Tommy shared a very special bond. But ever since his death on August 2, the dog went missing. They searched for Tommy and when they couldn’t locate him, they simply assumed that he had found a new home.
When she learned the truth, however, Sundari was overjoyed. “She was really happy he was back,” said Dawn. “She called him a loyal friend and she would keep him as a reminder of her son.”
“It was quite sad to see them walk off together. But I was glad they were reunited. I’m sure Tommy will help Shrimati with her grief, dogs are amazing in times of emotion.”
Photo: Blue Cross of India
We’ve seen several stories that are testaments to canine loyalty here on OC. Some dogs like Huachito, Leao and Capito have remained at their masters’ graves for over five years. And we can never forget the heartwrenching tale of a wolf-dog that lay over the gravestone of his owner’s grandmother, sobbing with grief.
