When Odysseus finally returned to Ithaca, disguised as a beggar
He found Argos in absolute misery, covered in filth and on the brink of death.
 For twenty years Argos had waited for his master. Though weak, the old dog wagged his tail and lifted his head one last time.

Bound by his disguise, Odysseus couldn’t greet him. He shed a tear and walked away.
 Yet for Argos, The simple fact that Odysseus was alive was enough to calm him and let him die in peace and not in agony unsure of his masters fate.

If Argos does not deserve a statue, who does?

Below is the Excerpt

“As they spoke, 290
Argos, the dog that lay there, raised his head
and ears. Odysseus had trained this dog
but with no benefit—he left too soon
to march on holy Troy. The master gone,
boys took the puppy out to hunt wild goats
and deer and hares. But now he lay neglected,
without an owner, in a pile of dung
from mules and cows—the slaves stored heaps of it
outside the door, until they fertilized
the large estate. So Argos lay there dirty,300
covered with fleas. And when he realized
Odysseus was near, he wagged his tail,
and both his ears dropped back. He was too weak
to move towards his master. At a distance,
Odysseus had noticed, and he wiped
his tears away and hid them easily,
and said,

“Eumaeus, it is strange this dog
is lying in the dung; he looks quite handsome,
though it is hard to tell if he can run,
or if he is a pet, a table dog,310
kept just for looks.”

Eumaeus, you replied,
“This dog belonged to someone who has died
in foreign lands. If he were in good health,
as when Odysseus abandoned him
and went to Troy, you soon would see how quick
and brave he used to be.”

Excerpt From The Odyssey by Homer
Emily Wilson Translation