Affectionately known as "Sergeant" or "Serg" for short, the dog arrived at the Gugulethu police station with its owner, who sought medical assistance in December.

The elderly man was taken to hospital and later died, leaving his devoted companion waiting at the station.

Hachiko was a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his loyalty to his owner, for whom he continued to wait at the Shibuya train station in Tokyo, every day for more than nine years after his death in 1925.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said that Sergeant remained outside the Gugulethu police station, waiting at the door his owner had entered, anticipating the elderly man's return with every person who exited.

The dog quickly became part of the team, standing proudly beside the officers at parade time and sleeping underneath the station's parked vehicles at night.

Despite their best efforts to care for him, the officers noticed Sergeant pining for his owner as his appetite dwindled and his spirit dimmed and reached out to animal welfare officials for help.