Even when a procession formed to carry the casket to a local mosque, the dog refused to leave. Cesur insisted on leading the procession, and the other mourners followed him.
But they didn’t yet realize the extent of his grief. During the funeral, Cesur sat at the foot of the casket, his head hanging in sadness, as if mourning. And so, Cesur remained the whole time.
Dog Grief
“No one could touch him until his former owner was laid to rest and buried,” said Ali. Cesur silently watched as his former owner was laid to rest.
Although dogs don’t cry like humans, they show genuine grief. When dogs are sad, they express their sorrow by whining, tucking their ears back, cowering, or refusing to make eye contact.
Longing
They also look as if they lack self-confidence. And when a dog whimpers, it tells you that it feels insecure and seeks reassurance from you. Cesur displayed most of the above behaviors.
It was evident that he was mourning. Although the little dog now lived at home with Ali, he still longed for Mehmet. Since the funeral, Cesur would run away every day, sprinting through the city to the gravesite to sit next to his old master.
Paying Respect
It wasn’t until Ali followed him that he realized what the loyal little dog did every day. “The people who work at the cemetery say he visits his former owner’s grave first thing in the morning,” said Ali.
On that day, Ali and Cesur sat side by side, paying their respects together. But Ali had no idea that he was only scratching the surface of the grief Cesur felt.