Portland, OR

Bobbie was a collie that was lost by his owners while they were on vacation in Indiana. Unfortunately for Bobbie, they lived 2,500 miles away in Silverton, Oregon. Everyone figured that it was bye-bye Bobbie. Except for Bobbie. Somehow, during the winter of 1923-1924, he walked 2,500 miles to get home. Bobbie's persistence and unmatched internal radar made him a nationwide celebrity, and he was honored in the press, books, and even in a Hollywood film.

But all that walking wore Bobbie out. He died just three years later. He was buried in a place of honor just inside the gates of the animal cemetery of the Oregon Humane Society in Portland. Hundreds of human mourners attended his funeral. The eulogy was delivered by the city's mayor. Fellow dog star Rin Tin Tin placed a wreath at the grave (He would not be as fortunate as Bobbie; he was buried in France).

Bobbie's grave is sheltered within his fancy white and red dog house, which he'd received during a promotional appearance at the Portland Home Show. His tombstone, at one time visible through the windows, was later moved outside for better viewing.

The expansion of the Humane Society Headquarters closed off the cemetery behind a fence, which means that Bobbie's grave can now only be reached by walking through the building during business hours. That doesn't seem right for a populist hero dog. Bobbie, free-ranger that he was, wouldn't have cared for that fence at all.