Many years ago the police in Edinburgh were told to each a buy a dog to take on patrol with them at night. Most of them bought "scary" dogs, but John Gray had taken a different approach to his work. Instead of working through intimidation, he had tried to get to know the people in the area and gain their trust, so he also bought a dog, but it was a terrier. A cute terrier named Bobby.
After only a few years John Gray died and was buried in the local cemetery, where Bobby stayed by his grave. People would come visit Bobby and bring him toys and treats. He was so beloved, the people paid for his yearly dog license so he wouldn't be picked up by the dog catcher, they gave him a key to the city (technically granting him the right to vote before women won suffrage in Scotland), and decreed that he have a steak dinner once a week. When he died (after guarding his master's grave for 14 years), they built a memorial to him only a few feet away from his master's resting place.
To this day people bring toys, snacks, ticket stubs, flowers, and (my personal favorite) sticks for Bobby.
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