Dogs
Loyal chihuahua has difficult time leaving owners grave
When Theresa decided to bring Dita to visit her mother's grave she never anticipated the dog to have such an emotional response.
Rebecca Reid
12.15.21

A dog’s loyalty never ends.

There have been many examples throughout history of the fierce loyalty that exists between humans and their canine companions. One faithful chihuahua mix named Dita is one such example.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

They were inseparable.

Theresa and Mike Morini adopted Dita after Theresa’s mother passed away from congestive heart failure. It was a difficult situation because Theresa knew how much her mother meant to Dita and vice versa. “It broke my heart. Dita and my mother were inseparable, wherever my mother went, Dita followed.” – Theresa told Inside Edition.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

A four-legged hospital stowaway.

During her mother’s treatments at the hospital for congenital heart disease, Theresa was able to sneak Dita into her mother’s room to cheer her up. Her mother was delighted to see her best friend and the two shared a memorable visit together.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

Dita refused to leave the gravesite.

Theresa’s mother sadly passed away at age 86. When she was laid to rest in a New York State cemetery, 5-year-old Dita stayed right beside her grave and refused to leave.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

Witnessing the dog’s reaction was heartbreaking for Theresa.

When the dog finally did decide to leave with Theresa, she quickly changed her mind and ran back to the graveside and sat down.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

Theresa visits her mom’s grave with Dita.

When it’s time to pay their respects, Theresa and Mike go along to the cemetery with Dita in tow. The dog knows exactly where to go. She quickly dashes past the graves until she reaches the grave of her owner.

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

This place holds special meaning.

She stops in her tracks and sits down, loyally watching over her beloved owner’s final resting place. “Is my mother’s spirit still here? I don’t know…it does bring me comfort to be here and I think it brings her comfort too.” Theresa told Inside Edition

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

Loyal dogs throughout history.

There have been other instances where dogs have continued to wait for their owners long after they have passed. One famous story is about an Akita named Hachiko, who lived in Japan in the 1930s. The owner would greet his dog at the train station each day after returning from work. When the dog’s owner failed to show up one day, the dog returned to the station each day for the rest of its life, never giving up on a chance to see him again. – iflscience.com

YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition
Source:
YouTube screenshot - Inside Edition

Do dogs understand death?

Stories like these make us wonder if dogs understand loss and whether or not they comprehend death. According to University of British Columbia psychology professor, Stanley Coren, “all of our current research tends to show that dogs have a mind which is roughly equivalent to a human child between the ages of two to three years.” – iflscience.com

Coren goes on to say that dogs are capable of feeling sorrow and pain and even depression. However, he believes that they lack the intelligence to fully understand that death is a permanent thing. “Prior to the age of about five, children don’t understand some very basic concepts about death, and the major thing they don’t understand is that death is irreversible.” – iflscience.com

Now watch this incredible video of Dita faithfully watching over her owner’s grave.

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