Results: Fido, the Devoted Dog (Part 1 of 2)

In 1941 in Tuscany, Italy, laborer Carlo Soriani had to walk to his home in Borgo San Lorenzo after the bus he was traveling in got stuck in deep, drifting snow. As he trudged along, he heard the whimpering of an injured puppy stranded on a ledge under a bridge. He rescued the mixed-breed pup, nursed him back to health, and adopted him. Have you ever medically treated and adopted a stray dog?

For a few years his new dog followed Carlo everywhere, enjoying weekend hunting trips, and walking to and from the bus stop Carlo used on his way to his job as a brick kiln worker. (Right click "Open image in new tab" to see the entire photo.) Every day the dog waited patiently at the bus stop for his master to return at the end of his shift. Have you ever routinely taken a bus to and from work?

The dog's devotion inspired Carlo to name him Fido, from the Latin word "fidus", meaning faithful. The name Fido goes back to the early Roman era, and many dogs have historically shared the name. One of US President Abraham Lincoln's early dogs (pictured here) was named Fido. This yellow lab mix didn't make it to the White House. Do you know any dogs named Fido?

Sadly, in 1943, during a WWII Allied bombing raid of German fortifications in Borgo San Lorenzo, Carlo was killed while at work. Have you personally known anyone who was killed in a WWII occurrence?