Ammanford mourns dog 'loved by so many'

Coley would sit and wait for Lesley Owen to come home from work

Shrines to faithful dogs are found worldwide - from Hachiko's statue in Japan to Greyfriars Bobby in Edinburgh.

Now a plaque has been mounted in the favourite spot of a popular pet from Carmarthenshire, whose death caused an outpouring of grief in his hometown.

Coley the collie would spend evenings in Penybanc, Ammanford, waiting for his owner Lesley Owen to come home.

Ms Owen said the bench next to the kerb where he would wait was so full of flowers no-one could sit down.

A plaque has already been mounted, with Ms Owen planning to add her own in the future.

Ms Owen, 50, explained that there were many flowers from people she never knew had met her pet: "They don't know who I am, they just know the dog."

Coley, who "loved children", was often the highlight of trips home from school, with parents travelling the long way home to see him.

The flowers covered the bench where Coley would wait for his owner

Coley "meant so much to so many people"

Coley would insist that Ms Owen's husband, Phil, take him to his bench to keep watch, even in the snow and hail.

"Hundreds of children over the years have been waving [to him]," said Ms Owen.

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"He meant so much to so many people."

Ms Owen said that one boy spotted the flowers and asked his mother to take him to buy flowers with his pocket money.

A plaque has been left in Coley's honour

Coley, who was Ms Owen's birthday present, was 11 when he died of old age surrounded by his family last month.

The family "miss him terribly", with Ms Owen still looking for Coley when she comes home.

"To think he was loved by so many people, it has helped," she said.

Who are the other dogs memorialised forever?

Hachiko the Akita dog has a statue in Shibuya, Tokyo

Hachiko the Akita dog

Hachiko the Akita dog would meet his owner every day at Shibuya railway station in Tokyo, in the 1920s.

Even after his master's death, he continued to make the journey, and a statue in Hachiko's memory remains a popular tourist attraction today.

Swansea Jack's memorial on the city's promenade

Swansea Jack

Black retriever Jack is thought to have saved 27 people in Swansea's waters, and was given multiple awards for his bravery.

In 1937, he died after eating rat poison. His memorial is located on his home city's promenade.

Greyfriars Bobby's statue is a famous landmark in Edinburgh

Greyfriars Bobby

Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier famous for guarding his owner's grave for more than 14 years in Edinburgh.

His statue is located in the city's centre, with his story becoming both a book and a Disney film.

Gelert is thought to have been the dog of Prince Llewelyn of north Wales

Gelert's Grave

Legend has it that during the 1200s, Prince Llewelyn of north Wales went hunting without his dog, Gelert.

When Llewelyn returned, he saw Gelert covered in blood and his son's cot empty, and immediately stabbed his dog to death thinking he had killed his child.

He later found his son safe alongside a dead wolf, which had been killed by Gelert. Llewelyn is said to have never smiled again.

The dog's grave can be found at Beddgelert, Snowdonia.