A dog’s love towards his family is unconditional, and a classic example of this is the story of Hachiko, an Akita dog who was born in 1923 in Japan. He was adopted by an agricultural professor who took him home and took on the role of his new owner. Both of them formed a very special bond.
Hachiko
During their time together, the professor would take a train ride home each working day and be greeted by Hachiko at the train station. Hachiko would sit and wait for the professor at the end of each working day, without fail. The pair continued this daily ritual until sadly one day the professor suffered from a cerebral haemorrhage (brain bleed) and passed away, never to return to the train station again where his beloved companion was waiting.
For the next nine years, Hachiko attracted the attention of many people far and wide as each day, without fail, he would visit the train station as normal and wait for his owner, hoping to see his best friend step off the train and greet him once again.
The phrase ‘man’s best friend’, is extremely apt, here. Owning a dog isn’t just good for your health, they are also extremely loyal.
Hachiko passed away in 1935, aged 11 years. A movie was released in 2009 based on the story of Hachiko and the professor, called Hachi.