Maya, a two-year-old Akita Inu dog, achieved Internet fame for waiting six days at an Alicante, Spain, hospital until her owner was released after emergency surgery. Photo courtesy of Facebook

ALICANTE , Spain, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A dog named Maya is a celebrity for waiting six days at the door of a hospital in spain for her owner to recover from surgery.

Maya was with owner Sandra Iniesta, 22, and Iniesta's father Andres Iniesta, who were traveling home to Barcelona after a vacation when Sandra Iniesta was hospitalized for emergency surgery to remove her appendix.


The 2-year-old dog, an Akita Inu breed known for its loyalty, refused to leave Elda Hospital, near Alicante, during her owner's six-day hospitalization. Maya maintained a vigil at the hospital door until her owner was released Aug. 27, and through photographs posted on social media by the hospital, the dog is now famous.

Andres Iniesta told the Spanish newspaper Informacion of Maya, "She knows what is happening and she is showing that she can be patient," The Local.es reported.

After leaving the hospital, Sandra Iniesta wrote on Twitter, "She just did what she does at home in Barcelona which is wait at the door of a place until I return. After days of not seeing my girl Maya, the kiss and happiness at seeing me and me her is priceless."