Halloween Hounds: 5 Tales Of Ghostly Dogs

Even death can't stop man's best friend from roaming (or haunting) the Earth. Sit by the fire and listen to our 5 ghostly dog stories:

1. Dambusters Dog

Dubbed "Digger" (because his real name was offensive), this black labrador belonged to Wing Commander Guy Gibson of the British Royal Air Force and served as friendly mascot for the No. 317 Squadron--until his death by car on the night of a raid.

That should've been the end of it, but some believe that Digger still haunts the area today. There are dog-sized cold spots near his master's grave, and witnesses claim to hear late-night growls outside of Gibson's former office...

2. Poogan

Forget ghosts and haunted houses–here's a story about a haunted restaurant and its resident spook dog: Poogan!

In life, Poogan greeted diners on the porch of one of the oldest restaurants in Charleston, S.C., aptly called "Poogan's Porch".

In death, he is often seen by employees napping in his favorite spot. Some diners even claim they can feel Poogan's ghost brush across their legs in search of table scraps.

3. The Black Dog of the Hanging Hills

Anyone would be uneasy hearing about a ghost called the "Black Dog."

According to legend, the Black Dog has been wandering around the Hanging Hills of Connecticut near Hubbard Park for more than a century. It makes no sound and it leaves no footprints.

C-r-e-e-p-y!

But that's not all. Despite it being described as "friendly," legend has it that seeing the Black Dog more than once leads to dire consequences. The first look is free. Seeing the dog a second time is bad luck. And a third time...?

Well, I hope you have life insurance coverage.

Six deaths are blamed on the dog.

4. Preston

Not all ghost dogs are harbingers of death, as the story of Preston shows that some are saviors of the living.

According to local stories, Preston was accompanying a group of trick-or-treaters on Halloween more than 50 years ago until a speeding car was about to run over a 7-year-old boy picking up candy that he'd dropped on the road.

Preston acted and knocked the boy aside–taking the brunt of the impact, throwing him into a nearby yard. The boy was unharmed, but Preston's body was nowhere to be found.

Fast-forward to the present, and local children report being gently "bumped" onto the sidewalk when they step onto the road.

5. Hound of Goshen a.k.a. the "White Dog"

Not to be confused with the "Black Dog," the White Dog has been spotted for more than 150 years in the Ebenezer Church cemetery in Newberry, S.C., and the 5-mile stretch of Buncombe Road that runs from Newberry to Goshen Hill.

There are two stories associated with the White Dog: one of canine loyalty and one as a vengeful wraith.

According to one story, the dog guarded its master's grave at the old cemetery until it died of starvation.

In the other, and more popular story, the dog was the companion to a traveling salesman more than a hundred years ago. When the pair was in Goshen Hill, a townsperson was murdered and the act was pinned on the salesman. The trial was unfair, and the man was found guilty and hanged.

Legend has it the white dog stood over his master's corpse–until both the dog and the body disappeared. Those involved in the salesman's death were attacked, and survivors claim the dog didn't appear until they passed by the tree where the salesman has been hanged.

In the present, witnesses allege that the White Dog suddenly materializes running besides their vehicle, and if they stopped, it would step in front of the car, throw its head back and howl.