Shep (American dog)
Encyclopedia
Shep was the name given to a herding dog that appeared at the Great Northern Railway station one day in 1936 in Fort Benton, Montana
. The dog first appeared at the station when a casket was being loaded on a train heading to the eastern USA. When the train left, the dog kept coming back to the station for every incoming train after that.
It took station employees some time to realize that the body in the casket was probably Shep's master, and Shep was showing up for each incoming train to see if his master would be getting off. The station employees took care of Shep and he lived in and around the station, becoming well known to everyone who passed through.
A few years into his time at the station, Shep and his story was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
.
Shep kept this daily vigil for almost six years until he was run over by a train on January 12, 1942. It is believed that his front paws were on one of the rails and he simply did not hear the train until it was too late, and he slipped off of the rail. The train's engineer could not stop the train in time.
A few days later, Shep's funeral was attended by nearly everyone in Fort Benton. "Eulogy on the Dog", though written for another dog, was read at the funeral. His grave was placed on a hillside overlooking the town, where it remains to this day.
Shep's story is retold as historical fiction in Shep Forever Faithful by Stewart H Beveridge and Lee Nelson.
The folk song "Ol Shep", sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
, is related but tells a different story.
A bronze sculpture by Bob Scriver of Shep, with his front paws on a rail, was unveiled in Fort Benton in 1994.
Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. A portion of the city was designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 1961. Established a full generation beforethe U.S...
. The dog first appeared at the station when a casket was being loaded on a train heading to the eastern USA. When the train left, the dog kept coming back to the station for every incoming train after that.
It took station employees some time to realize that the body in the casket was probably Shep's master, and Shep was showing up for each incoming train to see if his master would be getting off. The station employees took care of Shep and he lived in and around the station, becoming well known to everyone who passed through.
A few years into his time at the station, Shep and his story was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims...
.
Shep kept this daily vigil for almost six years until he was run over by a train on January 12, 1942. It is believed that his front paws were on one of the rails and he simply did not hear the train until it was too late, and he slipped off of the rail. The train's engineer could not stop the train in time.
A few days later, Shep's funeral was attended by nearly everyone in Fort Benton. "Eulogy on the Dog", though written for another dog, was read at the funeral. His grave was placed on a hillside overlooking the town, where it remains to this day.
Shep's story is retold as historical fiction in Shep Forever Faithful by Stewart H Beveridge and Lee Nelson.
The folk song "Ol Shep", sung by Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Ramblin' Jack Elliott is an American folk singer and performer.-Life and career:Elliot Charles Adnopoz was born in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents in 1931. Elliott grew up inspired by the rodeos at Madison Square Garden, and wanted to be a cowboy...
, is related but tells a different story.
A bronze sculpture by Bob Scriver of Shep, with his front paws on a rail, was unveiled in Fort Benton in 1994.
See also
- Greyfriars BobbyGreyfriars BobbyGreyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray , until he died himself on 14 January 1872...
, a famously loyal Skye TerrierSkye TerrierThe Skye Terrier is a breed of dog that is a long, low, hardy terrier.-Coat:The Skye is double coated, with a short, soft undercoat and a hard, straight topcoat. The ideal coat length is 5 inches , with no extra credit for a longer coat. The shorter hair of the head veils the forehead and... - HachikōHachiko, known in Japanese as chūken Hachikō , was an Akita dog born on a farm near the city of Ōdate, Akita Prefecture, remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, even many years after his owner's death.-Life:In 1924, Hidesaburō Ueno,...
, the faithful dog of Japan - List of dogs
External links
- Forever Faithful
- The Story of Shep. Stubsten, Willard E., in The People's Almanac #2. New York: Bantam Books, October 1978 ISBN 0553011375 pp. 1362–1364; reprinted by permission of The River Press, Fort Benton, Montana
- Eulogy on the Dog
- The Story of Shep
- Shep Forever Faithful, Beveridge Nelson