Johnny Morehouse was born in 1855, the youngest son of John and Mory, and grew up at his father’s shoe repair shop. Johnny, a five-year-old boy, was playing near his home near the Miami & Erie Canal in 1860 when he fell.

His dog, who had been playing with him, leaped into the water and urgently tried to save him, but he was unsuccessful. He rescued Johnny, but not in time to save his life. The young boy drowned and was laid to rest in the Woodland Cemetery.

The dog refused to move from Johnny’s grave after he was buried, staying there morning, noon, and night. Visitors to the cemetery began to be concerned about the dog’s well-being, and some began to leave him scraps of food, but it eventually died of malnutrition and broken-heartedness. In 1861, a commemorative stone was created to honor Johnny’s dog’s devotion.

Passers-by continue to bring small toys and trinkets to decorate the grave marker, and some visitors leave money there……a lady who walks the cemetery every day takes the money and purchases items for the grave.

Johnny and his dog, reunited beyond the grave, are said to stroll the cemetery after hours. Barking can be heard near the tomb, and the two can be seen occasionally inside the perimeter fence.

This unusual tombstone can be located in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio, at the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.