Faithful to the end – Shep joins mourners to bid final farewell

Devoted pet dog stands with family and friends at service for Dundee man Peter Robson

He’s the dog that captured the hearts of thousands of people across the globe after being allowed a final farewell with his master at Ninewells Hospital.

And yesterday afternoon Shep the border collie joined family and friends at the funeral service of Peter Robson at Birkhill Cemetery for the Dundee man’s send-off.

Donning a light blue doggy bandanna, a patient Shep sat beside family members as his master was laid to rest.

Nurses in ward 3 at Ninewells were praised for going “above and beyond” to arrange the loyal pooch’s visit just hours before the grandad died during the first week of April.

He had been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis.

Shep was given to former scrap metal burner Mr Robson as a gift from family members following the loss of his beloved wife, Joan, in 2009.

The heartbreaking moment Shep and his owner shared one last encounter was spread widely across Facebook and led to an outpouring of emotion, with the family receiving a stream of goodwill messages.

Mr Robson’s son, Peter Robson Jr, told The Courier that the reaction to the video has helped the family cope with the loss. He will be taking care of Shep from now on.

Speaking last week, the 44-year-old said: “We lost our mum nine years ago and we got dad the dog a year later. The reason he got Shep was because he missed her so much.

“They were inseparable. He used to walk him four times a day every day.

“And Shep is missing him. When my sister drove him to the groomer’s, he barked as he passed my dad’s street.”

He added that Mr Robson Sr was a “jokey person” who would want his family to remember the good times.

Mr Robson Jr added: “He even joked all the way through his last day. Even a half-hour before he passed he was still joking.”

Following Shep’s visit, granddaughter Ashley Stevens described the Ninewells Hospital team who made the visit possible as “angels”.

She asked that the video of the encounter be shared “because everyone needs to know what amazing nurses and staff they have in that hospital”.

Pictures: Mhairi Edwards. Top: Shep alongside mourners at the funeral of his owner, Peter Robson, at Birkhill Cemetery, and, above, how the story appeared in The Courier.