🇬🇧 In 2007, a struggling London street musician named James Bowen discovered an injured ginger stray cat in the hallway of his building. James was recovering from drug addiction and had experienced homelessness. Although he had very little money, he took the cat to a veterinarian, cared for his injuries, and named him Bob. After recovering, Bob began following James everywhere, even accompanying him on buses and through the busy streets of London. Soon, the two became inseparable. Bob perched on James’s shoulders while he played guitar and sold The Big Issue, a magazine that helps people experiencing homelessness earn an income. James later credited Bob with giving him a reason to wake up each morning and the strength to rebuild his life. Their extraordinary friendship inspired the bestselling 2012 memoir A Street Cat Named Bob, which became a worldwide success. In 2016, their story was adapted into a film, with the real Bob appearing as himself. But in June 2020, Bob died at the age of 14, leaving James and millions of fans heartbroken. On July 15, 2021, a life-size bronze statue of Bob was unveiled at Islington Green in London, near the streets where the pair had spent so many years together. Created by sculptor Tanya Russell, the memorial shows Bob wearing his familiar scarf and sitting on a stack of books beside a granite bench. James had rescued an injured stray cat. In return, he believed Bob had saved his life. Today, Bob’s statue remains a tribute to a friendship that changed two lives and touched millions of hearts around the world.