Today’s “man’s best friend makes you bawl your eyes out” story comes from Italy and concerns Ciccio, a 12-year-old German shepherd who has attended church every single day since his owner died.

MSN reports that Ciccio used to accompany his owner to Santa Maria Assunta church in San Donaci, Italy every afternoon when she was still alive and has been keeping up the habit long after she has passed. She was known as “Maria tu lu campu” in local dialect (“Maria of the fields” in English) died suddenly in November.

Ciccio attended the funeral and followed his owner’s coffin as it was carried into the church, reports The Telegraph.

The dog’s loyalty and devotion has impressed villagers so much that they have adopted him as their own, giving him food and water and making a covered area outside the church for him to sleep in.

The local priest, Donato Panna, allows Ciccio to sit in front of the altar during Mass, baptisms, and other services. He is hoping to find a new home for the faithful pup.

The story of Ciccio is reminiscent of the tale of another German shepherd. A man named Miguel Guzmán died in 2006, and his dog Capitán disappeared while his family was attending the funeral. Later, relatives visiting the grave found Capitán crying by his owner’s plot. They were astounded because no one had ever taken Capitán to the cemetery.

Since then, Capitán lies down on the grave each night by 6 pm and has done so every night for the past six years.

Here are some photos of Ciccio at his deceased owner’s church:

Loyal Pup Still Attends Owner’s Church Long After Her Death is a post from: The Inquisitr

Drake was a hero and a loyal best friend. The former K9 patrol dog was just protecting the property of his master, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Boody, when armed robbers broke into their house. Trooper Boody was not at home and Drake did his best to fight off the violent intruders, despite being shot several times.

The saga of the wounded German Shepard began on Sunday Night, when Bobby Boody returned from work and found his place ransacked, with blood splattered everywhere. The house was silent and Drake didn’t bound happily to the front door to greet his friend.

Rushing upstairs, Boody found Drake conscious and barely alive. He gathered the 100 pound animal in his arms, hurried to his car, and drove to the local emergency veterinary clinic. The severely wounded Shepard was stabilized and then transferred to the hospital of Dr. Ken Simmons in Lantana, Florida for surgery.

Dr. Simmons repaired the damage done to two of Drake’s legs, his brow and his jaw. Sadly, a bullet had also nicked the dog’s esophagus and Drake was having difficulty eating and drinking. The concerned Vet hoped the specialists at the University of Florida’s veterinary school could save Drake and he arranged to fly the dog and his owner to Gainesville.

The specialists did their best but they discovered more damage to a blood vessel in the dog’s neck. Trooper Boody and the doctors decided it was best to spare the dog any more pain and on Friday at 6:15 pm, Drake the German Shepard was euthanized.

Bobby Boody was too upset to talk with the press, so he asked Dr Simmons to represent him. The disappointed doctor spoke to reporters about the effort to save the canine hero.

“I’m really happy that I took him up to (the University of) Florida today because we had some of the brightest minds in veterinary medicine on the planet all gathered around this dog, thinking through how it was going to go. At the end of it, we didn’t leave any stones unturned, we didn’t put Drake through any pain. He didn’t feel any pain at all.”

“I’m just totally emotionally spent. I so bad wanted this to be something good for all of these people that were so enthralled with this dog’s fight. At the end of the day, you feel like you let them all down.”

Police have arrested a 16 year old male as the prime suspect in the shooting and robbery. The unnamed minor was traced by the ankle monitor he was wearing while while on probation for burglary and grand theft. The police are also looking for 2 other suspects.

Investigators said the house was chosen for the robbery because the suspects knew a police officer lived there and they thought they would find guns and money. Authorities said the youth confessed to the crime and expressed no guilt over the death of Drake.

Detective Philip DiMola commented on the coldness of the suspect.

“He had no remorse. I asked him, ‘Did you think about that dog today?’ He said no.’”

The Inquisitr sends our condolences to Trooper Bobby Boody over the loss of his loyal companion, Drake the German Shepard. We salute all the brave dogs who have comforted and protected us, no matter the risk or danger. The beloved dog truly is humanity’s best friend.

Heroic Police Dog Protects Home Despite Being Shot Several Times is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bay Shore, NY — A husky missed his owner so much that the canine somehow tracked him to a hospital two miles away in the middle of the night.

Zander the white husky was a shelter dog who was rescued by John Dolan five years ago. When Dolan was recently hospitalized in a Long Island, New York, hospital with a skin condition, Zander became very depressed and was moping around the house.

So the dedicated husky snuck out at 3 a.m. and amazingly found Dolan at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip.

According to the Fox affiliate,

“The four-legged friend likely went under the Robert Moses Parkway and across a busy four-lane road to get there. A hospital employee found the dog on the street outside of building where Dolan was being treated.”

The nurse called the number on Zander’s collar which turned out to be Dolan’s cell phone number who answered the phone from his hospital bed. Dolan’s wife later came over and retrieved Zander. The dedicated dog even made a second trip to the hospital later.

How did the loyal dog manage to find his owner? Apparently Zander may have tracked Dolan down by his scent. CBS New York explains:

“Animal behaviorists said Zander may have been able to make the more than two-mile trek partly due to his olfactory receptors. Dogs like Zander have 200 million to 300 million scent glands, while humans have just five million scent glands.”

“ ‘Some of them seem to have a special human-animal bond that leads them that way, whether it’s a sixth sense,” veterinarian Dr. John Charos told [CBS].’ “

Watch the Fox video about Zander the husky, John Dolan’s best friend:

New York News | NYC Breaking News

Zander The Husky Tracks Owner To Hospital [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Who says that the internet can’t make real, positive change happen? The familiar photo above, picturing a man wading into lake superior with his arthritic 19-year-old dog to ease his beloved pet’s pain, went crazy viral in August, and all of the attention has helped that same dog recover.

The photograph, which captured the hearts of millions after going viral, inspired the dog’s owner to launch a foundation to help low-income families care for their aging canines. John Unger, the dog’s owner, was considering putting his poor pooch down before the photo was put on Facebook by a friend. But since launching Schoep’s Legacy Foundation, named for the dog in the photo, Unger says that he has raised more than $25,000 to his cause.

“Schoep is doing incredible right now,” 49-year-old Unger said of his pup. ‘The therapies that the people have donated–it’s like turning back the clock a year and a half.”

Schoep’s vet, Erik Haukass, told the Daily Mail that he foundation was created when the pair “realized we had received more money than we would reasonably spend on Schoep’s care.”

“It could help another 30 or 40 Schoeps,” Haukass said.

Facebook’s Official Fan Page of Schoep and John has more than 20,000 “likes,” and the original photographer is selling prints of the viral photo to contribute to the cause.

“This 19-year-old [Schoep is] being cradled in his father’s arms last night in Lake Superior,” Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, the photographer, wrote in the Facebook post that inspired the deluge of support. “Schoep falls asleep every night when he is carried into the lake. The buoyancy of the water soothes his arthritic bones. Lake Superior is very warm right now, so the temperature of the water is perfect. I was so happy I got to capture this moment for John. By the way, John rescued Schoep as an 8-month-old puppy, and he’s been by his side through many adventures.”

Business for Hudson has benefited from the photo as well. A professional photographer, she told the Twin Cities that she has hired her first employee and an intern since the photo went viral. “I would say a 30 percent increase in shoots,” she said, continuing, “Who knew a favor to a friend would turn into this? It’s completely surreal.”

Because of the attention and the generosity of Schoep’s donors, the expensive laser treatments to reduce pain and swelling have paid off. “He’s walking so much faster,” Unger said. “It’s unbelievable.”

So pat yourselves on the back, internet. You saved Schoep’s life. You guys really take that “4 GR8 JUSTICE” thing seriously, don’t you?

Remember This Viral Photo? You Helped Save This 19-Year-Old Arthritic Dog’s Life is a post from: The Inquisitr

John Unger often wades in the waters of Lake Superior, cradling his sick dog Schoep to help ease its arthritis pain. The touching photo of the sick 19-year-old dog and his best friend have attracted millions of views online and likely more than a tear or two from dog lovers. Schoep is named after a popular Wisconsin ice cream shop.

The phrase “man’s best friend” may have never been more true. John Unger adopted Schoep when the the shepherd mix was just a tiny bundle of fur. The pair of life-long companions go to Lake Superior most evenings so Schoep can have the chance to rest free from arthritis pain. Schoep has difficulty sleeping, so John Unger and his best pal routinely travel to nearby Lake Superior to get in the water together. The movement of the water soothes the the sweet old dog, lulling him to sleep, Radar Online notes.

John Unger and his former fiance found Schoep at the Ozaukee County Wisconsin Humane Society where he had been abandoned and showed signs of being beaten. While Unger’s relationship with his fiance did not last, the one with dog thrived. Unger credits Schoep with his recovery from a severe depression after the break-up that prompted him to consider suicide.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think I’d be here if I didn’t have Schoep with me that night. He just snapped me out of it. I don’t know how to explain it. He just snapped me out of it. I just want to do whatever I can for this dog because he basically saved my a**,” John Unger told the Duluth Tribune.

Hannah Stonehouse Hudson captured the now famous photo of Unger cradling Schoep in the water on Lake Superior. Hudson stated during an interview with the Huffington Post that the image of the man cradling his sleeping dog in the water is in no way staged.

“This is in no way posed. I hate posed photos. They never ever capture the true essence of anything,” the Stonehouse Photography owner stated during the interview.

John was grateful for the photographer’s help capturing what he feared might be the final Lake Superior soak with Scheop. Unger was faced with the possibility of putting Schoep down to end his constant pain if the medication he was taking did not start to help his arthritis condition. Thanks to the growing popularity of the photo of Unger cradling his sleeping dog in the lake, donations have poured in to help pay for arthritis laser treatments for Schoep.

Man Cradles His Sick 19-Year-Old Dog In Lake Superior To Help Ease Its Arthritis Pain is a post from: The Inquisitr

As a large fire started to consume a house in Georgia, Duncan the Dog rushed in to wake his owner. The Boxer alerted his owner, Scott Dunn, who was able to safely evacuate his home in Mariatta, Georgia.

Duncan the Dog wasn’t so lucky.

According to CBS, Duncan slipped out of his collar and rushed back into the house. Dunn tried to follow to save his dog but the fire was too hot.

Dunn said:

“[Neighbours] told me not to, and I said I had to get Duncan. When I got in the door, it was too hot and I couldn’t go in. I tried to go in, but I couldn’t.”

After the fire was put out, firefighters retrieved the remains of Duncan the Dog. The Daily Mail reports that the three-and-a-half year-old dog was buried in Dunn’s backyard.

A distraught Dunn said:

“You wouldn’t recognise him, but I still leaned down, gave him a hug and gave him a kiss, and four or five of the fire department guys started crying, but I wasn’t going to let my boy go out like that. That’s my boy.”

Here’s a video about Duncan the Dog.

Why do you think Duncan returned to the house?

Duncan the Dog Dies After Saving Owner From Fire [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

On August 6, 2011 30 American soldiers where killed when the helicopter they were riding in was shot down in Afghanistan by Taliban fighters. One of those soldier’s was Navy SEAL U.S. Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson.

During the service honoring the soldier Tumlison’s dog, Hawkeye, walked up to the casket and laid down in front of it heaving a big sigh.

Tumlison’s cousin, Lisa Pembleton wrote on Facebook that Hawkeye was Tumlison’s loyal pet and refused to leave his side during the funeral. The following looping time lapse video was shot during the service.

Even in death a dog’s friendship is unwavering.

via Discovery and IsViral

If this doesn’t touch in your heart then you don’t have one is a post from: The Inquisitr