We’re at that time of year where ghost stories are told to give you chills up your spine. The spirits of the dead are not always human. Sometimes the spirits of our four legged companions are still there guarding and remaining loyal long past their deaths. Below are some of our favorite ghost stories about dog spirits that haunt and guard certain areas today.
Dambusters dog
Digger was a black Labrador that belonged to Wing Commander Guy Gibson of the British Royal Air Force. He was considered the mascot for the No. 617 Squadron. The squadron was famous for its night time raid on three dams in Germany.
Photo of Digger with his troops
On the night of a raid, Digger was hit by a car outside the base and killed. Gibson believed it was a bad omen ordering that the death be kept a secret and Digger be buried outside his office at midnight.
Digger's name was used as a code word when Germany's dams were breached during the famous mission.
Today, some people believe that Digger still haunts the area. In fact, a photograph taken during the 1980s launched an investigation into paranormal activity around the base.
The picture shows a black Labrador sitting beside a school group visiting the Dambusters memorial. The photographer claims the dog appeared just as the photo was about to be taken and refused to be shooed away. Once he snapped the picture, the dog disappeared and was never seen again.
Ghost hunters who have visited the base say they’re convinced the spirit of Digger still lingers by his grave and his master’s memorial. They cite cold spots that measure roughly the size of a dog, as well as late-night growls heard by witnesses outside Gibson’s former office.
Black dog of the Hanging Hills
The Black dog has a reputation of being friendly, but it’s said to make no sound and leave no paw prints. Folklore says that the spirit of the black dog has been haunting the Hanging Hills of Connecticut near Hubbard Park for more than a century.
According to legend, to see the black dog for the first time results in joy while a second sighting results in misfortune. Seeing the dog a third time is said to be a death omen, with at least six deaths have been blamed on the dog.
One of the first accounts of the Hanging Hills dog was written by geologist W.H.C. Pynchon and appeared in Connecticut Quarterly in 1898. According to his story, he was conducting research on a cliff with fellow geologist Herbert Marshall in 1891 when they both saw the dog. Pynchon had seen the dog before, while Marshall had seen the dog twice before but didn’t believe in the legend. Shortly after encountering the pooch, Marshall slipped on ice falling to his death. Sightings of the black dog spirit continue today.
Hound of Goshen
For more than 150 years, people have reported seeing a large white dog in the Ebenezer Church cemetery in Newberry, S.C., as well as along the 5-mile stretch of Buncombe Road that runs from Newberry to Goshen Hill, S.C. Witnesses say the dog appears suddenly beside your vehicle, and if you stop, it will step in front of your car, throw its head back and howl. According to one legend, the dog’s master was buried in the old cemetery and the dog laid on his grave until it died of starvation. However, other people believe in a much more grisly tale.
The second, more popular story is that the dog was the companion of a traveling salesman more than a century ago. While the salesman was in Goshen Hill, a towns person was murdered and the salesman was the prime suspect. After an unfair trial, the man was found guilty and hanged from a tree. Even though the salesman hung lifeless, his loyal white dog stood guard over his master’s corpse.
Weeks later, both the dog and the body disappeared. Those involved in the salesman’s lynching were attacked by the white dog one by one. Those who survived the dog’s bites reported the white dog didn’t appear until they passed by the tree where the salesman had been hanged.
