Loyal Dog Refuses to Leave Owner's Grave in China

A loyal dog has held watch of its owner's grave in south of Beijing, China for more than a week. The dog has moved people of the Panjiatun village so much that they plan to build a kennel for him.

The dog belonged to owner Lao Pan, a single man, who died earlier this month aged 68.

After Pan's room was cleared the dog disappeared but villagers later found him by the grave of his owner. Reports have said that the dog has stayed by the side of the grave for more than seven days, refusing to leave.

Villagers have tried coaxing the dog away with food, after noticing that he was staying at the grave site unfed, and took the dog back to the village to give it some buns.

A concerned local tried to take the dog home with him, but to no avail.

"I gave him a steamed bun when he came to my home," he told the BBC.

But the dog took the buns and soon returned to the grave.

Now villagers are regularly bringing food and water to the dog and plan to build him a kennel at the grave site.

The story is reminiscent of Edinburgh's Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier who remained at his master's grave for 14 years in Scotland in the mid-1800s.

Bobby is now commemorated with a bronze statue in the city and has his own website: www.greyfriarsbobby.co.uk.

The Sky Terrier belonged to John Gray, who worked for Edinburgh City Police. He was two when Gray died of tuberculosis in 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard.

The dog apparently spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave, cared for by locals and well-wishers.

The account has been so inspiring that several books and films have been based on his story.