Ruswarp

Graham Nuttall and his Border Collie dog Ruswarp were inseparable. In January 1990, they bought return rail tickets from Burnley to Llandrindod Wells in where Graham and Ruswarp intended to go walking in the Welsh mountains. They never returned.

Friends and neighbours from his home town raised the alarm in mid January. Searches by police and mountain rescue teams in the Elan Valley and Rhayader found nothing. It was on the 7th April 1990 that David Clarke, a lone walker on a remote Welsh mountain, found the body of Graham Nuttall by a mountain stream nearby was Ruswarp, his faithful Border Collie dog – he had stayed with his master's body for eleven weeks, in wintery conditions. The 14-year-old Collie was so weak he had to be carried off the mountain.

Ruswarp was cared for by local vet Bertie Ellis of Beulah. Coroner Alfons Van Hees recorded an open verdict on the death of Graham. Ruswarp lived just long enough to attend Graham's funeral, having been cared for lovingly by Graham's aunt and uncle, Gerry and Edith Maden of Clowbridge.

There have been similar stories on record of dog's devotion to their masters, but this level of devotion is rare. Aplaque was put up at Burnley railway station and a platform bench was dedicated at Garsdale station on the Settle-Carlisle line (Graham Norton's favourite place). It is hoped that a full size statue of Ruswarp will be errected soon for his bravery’.