As I walked past rows of tombstones in a historic churchyard on a crisp, gray day, I spotted him. His little bronze face — tongue wagging, with a sweet smirk at its edges — was instantly recognizable. It was a statue of Bum, San Diego’s famous beloved town dog. Only, I wasn’t in San Diego. I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, face-to-face with a piece of home. But why?

The statue of Bum the dog in St. Cuthbert's churchyard in Edinburgh in April 2025 — complete with a pile of sticks left behind by visitors. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

The canine connection

You see, since 1977 Edinburgh has been one of San Diego’s 16 sister cities — part of our big, extended family across the world. Edinburgh and San Diego’s connection revolves around a pair of beloved canines and their matching statues that can be found in both cities.

In Edinburgh, there's the legend of a Skye Terrier named Bobby, a loyal companion who watched over his owner’s grave at Greyfriars Kirkyard from 1858 to 1872.

In San Diego, there's the legend of Bum the dog, a stowaway who boarded a boat in Santa Rosa in 1886 and disembarked in San Diego. The St. Bernard and spaniel mix roamed the streets of SD, quickly becoming the official town dog. Locals fed him and kept an eye on him until his death in 1898.

The statue of Bum at William Heath Davis House Park in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. | Photo via Michael Beausoleil + SDtoday

In 2005, Edinburgh donated a bronze statue of Greyfriars Bobby to San Diego to celebrate their many years of sisterhood — the same statue that stands on Candlemaker Row in Old Town Edinburgh. In October 2007, the Bobby statue was officially dedicated in "The Brother Dog Statues” ceremony in San Diego along with a sculpture of Bum. Both statues sit (like good doggies) at William Heath Davis House pocket park in the Gaslamp Quarter.

To further cement the Edinburgh-SD bond, San Diego also donated a statue of Bum to Edinburgh. It sits at St. Cuthbert's Kirkyard off King Stables Road — and that’s where I found Bum on this cold April day in 2025…

Bum and I just had to take a selfie. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

My personal visit with Bum in Scotland

Besides his smile, the first thing I noticed when I approached Bum's statue in Edinburgh was a large pile of sticks sitting in front of him. Visitors leave sticks for him and that made me tear up. I thought, "People still want to look after him, even on the other side of the world."

I sat next to him, put my arm around him, and gave him a few pats. My family did the same. We snapped a few photos and I whispered to him, “Bum, I’m from San Diego, too.”

He seemed rather pleased by that.

Next to Bum’s statue, there was a plaque explaining Edinburgh’s “canine connection” to San Diego. The plaque read, in part:

“Edinburgh and San Diego, California share a twinning link with a unique twist. Each city is home to a famous dog, Edinburgh’s loyal and beloved Greyfriars Bobby and San Diego’s equally beloved vagabond dog, Bum. In recognition of these canine heroes, a statue of Bobby was presented to San Diego and this statue of Bum was given in return. The dogs represent the spirit of a twinning link — friendship, loyalty, and shared experience.”

The plaque that explains the "canine connection" between the cities can be found to the right of the Bum statue in Edinburgh, Scotland. | Photo via Monica Garske + SDtoday

As I wrapped up my time with Bum, I observed his surroundings. The churchyard is peaceful and beautiful, filled with the sounds of nature. Occasionally, a visitor like me will walk up to Bum and fuss over him for a bit. But for the most part, I imagine his life in Scotland is quite mellow and comfortable — much like it was when he lived his best life in San Diego all of those decades ago.