Fido was one of the lesser known dogs in history that was famous for mourning his master's death. For 14 years he waited at a bus stop for his return home.
Carlo Soriani found an injured puppy lying in a roadside ditch in November 1941 on his way home from the bus stop in the small Italian town of Borgo San Lorenzo. Soriani took the little dog home with him and nursed him back to health. Soriani and his wife decided to keep the hound-mix dog and named him Fido, which means faithful from the Latin word fidus.
After Fido recovered from his injuries, he would accompany Soriani to the bus stop and watch his master board the morning bus that took him to his job. In the evening, Fido would be there to greet Soriani and follow him back home. This routine continued every workday.
In December 1943, during World War II, the factory Soriani worked at was hit by bombs in a terrible air raid killing 109 people including Soriani. That evening, Fido did not see Soriani get off the bus. After a while, he returned home but continued to meet the evening bus waiting for his beloved master. This went on for 14 years until the day Fido passed away on June 9, 1958. Fido was buried next to Soriani.
Fido became well known for his dedication long before his death. His story became a source of media attention, and even appeared in Time magazine. In 1957, the mayor of Borgo San Lorenzo awarded Fido a gold medal and presented a statue of Fido with the words A FIDO, ESEMPIO DI FEDELTA (TO FIDO, EXAMPLE OF LOYALTY) in front of a large crowd including Soriani's widow.
Actual footage of Fido waiting for his deceased master to return home.
