Page 1 of 5
1
2
3
... LastLast
  1. #1
    Deleted

    Dog goes to church every day since owner died

    Article:
    http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/341594





    "San Donaci - Ciccio, a 12-year-old German shepherd, still turns up each day at church two months after his owner Maria Margherita Lochi, 57, died. He waits in front of the altar at the Santa Maria Assunta church in the village of San Donaci, for his owner to appear.
    According to The Huffington Post, the dog continues to return to the church in the southern region of Puglia, Italy and attends Mass where the funeral of his mistress was held two months ago.
    Ciccio attended his mistress's funeral. He followed the coffin as it was carried into the church. According to The Telegraph, since the funeral, he heads to the church each afternoon as soon as he hears the bells ringing, as he did for years in the company of his owner while she was alive.
    Ciccio's owner was known popularly in the village as "Maria tu lu campu" ("Maria of the fields"). She took ill and died suddenly in November.
    The dog's devotion has so impressed villagers that they have adopted him. Villagers come to church with gifts of food and water. The church authorities let him sleep in a covered area outside the church.
    According to Sud Italia News, the dog appears to mourn daily for Maria, who was known in the area for her love of animals.

    Sud Italia News reports: "As a sign of gratitude [to his dead owner], Ciccio goes to church every morning, sitting beneath the altar, near the priest. His hope to see his beloved Maria, the person he accompanied everywhere, even in church, moves the faithful."
    The 12-year-old hound obviously misses Maria Lochi. The Daily Mail reports Father Donato Panna, said: ''He's there every time I celebrate Mass and is very well behaved - he doesn't make a sound, I've not heard one bark from him in all the time he has been coming in.
    "He used to come to Mass with Maria and he was obviously devoted to her - I let him stay inside as he was always so well behaved and none of the other parishioners ever complained to me.
    "He's still coming to Mass even after Maria's funeral, he waits patiently by the side of the altar and just sits there quietly. I didn't have the heart to throw him out - I've just recently lost my own dog so I leave him there until Mass finishes and then I let him out.
    "Tommy's been adopted by everyone in the village now and he is everybody's friend. Everyone looks out for him and leaves food for him - although it would be nice to find a proper home for him."
    Ciccio's story is reminiscent of the story of a German shepherd mix, Capitán, who stood guard over his master's grave for six years. He ran away from home after his master Miguel Guzman, died in 2006. Digital Journal reports that when Guzman's family visited the grave after the funeral, they found the dog sitting on it. Capitán has grieved his dead master for six years at the cemetery in the Villa Carlos Paz in central Argentina."

  2. #2
    Such a sad story, it makes you think though, animals arent as stupid as we may think.
    ||i5 3570k @ 4.4GHz||H100 push/pull||AsRock Z77 Extreme4||16Gb G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz||Gigabyte Windforce GTX 970|| Coolermaster Storm Trooper||Corsair TX850 Enthusiast Series||Samsung 840 Pro 128gb(boot drive)||1TB WD HDD, 2x 3TB WD HDD, 2TB WD HDD||

    Bdk Nagrand / Astae Nagrand
    Pokemon X FC: 4656-7679-2545/Trainer Name: Keno

  3. #3
    Deleted
    Truly heart warming story.

  4. #4
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by b0sanac View Post
    Such a sad story, it makes you think though, animals arent as stupid as we may think.
    Why? He's just acting out of habit. Sounds like he went there every day/week/whatever and just continues doing that. Humans are just projecting their emotions onto the animal. They see a sad story of an owner dying and their pet continuing the normal routine and immediately create a story around it.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by b0sanac View Post
    Such a sad story, it makes you think though, animals arent as stupid as we may think.
    They aren't? This dog didn't even hear the shot that his master is dead and keeps repeating the same thing over and over again, for nothing.

    Animals are stupid for the most part, but some are very loyal. That's the real thing about animals that fascinates me... loyalty.

  6. #6
    Warchief Tokru's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    The end of the rainbow
    Posts
    2,164
    Quote Originally Posted by b0sanac View Post
    Such a sad story, it makes you think though, animals arent as stupid as we may think.
    I only would them call not stupid, if the dogs would not do that. All those examples show, that they are things without own will who stick to long engrained habits. The one person they were trained to love is not more and they can't think of something else to do. Their purpose is invalid but they are still alive. Is it just me, or does this look like the exact opposite of not stupid?

    A cat wouldn't have done something like that.

    Therefore cats > dogs.

  7. #7
    This almost makes me want to get a dog ALMOST! cats > dogs

  8. #8
    Stop comparing a dogs intelligence to humans.

    I really think dogs are mans best friend, they are so useful, not only as friends but to help us in so many ways as well

  9. #9
    Deleted
    I got a bit teary-eyed. Think I need to go hug my dog now.

  10. #10
    Manly tears were shed.
    "So my advice is to argue based on the reasons stated, not try to make up or guess at reasons and argue those."
    Greg Street, Riot Developer - 12:50 PM - 25 May 2015

  11. #11
    The dog is smarter than most of the people on this forum

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Tokru View Post
    I only would them call not stupid, if the dogs would not do that. All those examples show, that they are things without own will who stick to long engrained habits. The one person they were trained to love is not more and they can't think of something else to do. Their purpose is invalid but they are still alive. Is it just me, or does this look like the exact opposite of not stupid?

    A cat wouldn't have done something like that.

    Therefore cats > dogs.
    Dogs are "things" without own will?
    First of all, dogs have just as much or as little free will as humans have.
    Secondly, humans are also animals.

    Do you honestly expect a dog to understand that his owner is dead? Do you think a dog knows what death is? The fact that dogs develop habits like this is the impressive part. Cats don't do that. That's why they wouldn't do it, they don't understand one bit that their owner is dead and is never coming back either.

  13. #13
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Tokru View Post
    I only would them call not stupid, if the dogs would not do that. All those examples show, that they are things without own will who stick to long engrained habits. The one person they were trained to love is not more and they can't think of something else to do. Their purpose is invalid but they are still alive. Is it just me, or does this look like the exact opposite of not stupid?

    A cat wouldn't have done something like that.

    Therefore cats > dogs.
    If you think dogs have no will of their own you clearly know absolutely nothing about dogs.

  14. #14
    It's plausible that the dog knows what death is, and actually is mourning. We've observed it in other animals such as Elephants & other apes.

    http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/thebas...anine-Emotions
    Last edited by Dezerte; 2013-01-20 at 01:23 PM.
    "In order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance." Paradox of tolerance

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Ninaran View Post
    Why? He's just acting out of habit. Sounds like he went there every day/week/whatever and just continues doing that. Humans are just projecting their emotions onto the animal. They see a sad story of an owner dying and their pet continuing the normal routine and immediately create a story around it.
    And that he does that 2 months after his owner died also has a reason:

    "Villagers come to church with gifts of food and water. "
    "Everyone looks out for him and leaves food for him".

    So the church is now a place where he gets a friendly welcome and food. If I was a dog I also would continue to come to such a place.
    Atoms are liars, they make up everything!

  16. #16
    Warchief Letmesleep's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Spooning you without your knowledge
    Posts
    2,010
    D'aww, what a bitter-sweet story I love dogs. I hope someone gives it a good home; you can't mourn your losses forever.

  17. #17
    The Patient at05gt's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Its called America, not 'Murica.
    Posts
    326
    Animal's are a lot smarter then most people give them credit for. It could be that the dog is merely conditioned to do that every day because of years of repetition, akin to someone in the military doing PT every morning. Routines become ingrained if done long enough. Having owned severely dogs in the past though, I choose to believe that this poor creature is actually in mourning for his beloved companion. Animals have emotions and wills of their own just like we do, they are after all sentient beings.
    Quote Originally Posted by noteworthynerd View Post
    But hey, we're just strangers on the Internet with decades of combined IT and computer building experience, what do we know?

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by StayTuned View Post
    They aren't? This dog didn't even hear the shot that his master is dead and keeps repeating the same thing over and over again, for nothing.

    Animals are stupid for the most part, but some are very loyal. That's the real thing about animals that fascinates me... loyalty.
    I have 2 cats and... i dont get it.

  19. #19
    Deleted
    Seem cute, But like other people said its a habit. I doubt he does it for something deeper. But i suppose there are people who think otherwise!

  20. #20
    Merely a Setback Trassk's Avatar
    10+ Year Old Account
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Having a beer with dad'hardt
    Posts
    26,315
    Aww Ciccio
    I'd just want to cuddle him, poor doggie.
    #boycottchina

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •