After a minor car accident, Lassie was taken out of real life by a scared dog and ran a mile to her doggy daycare for help.
Melissa Fickel, 31, was taking her dog, Ariel, to a park near Detroit to enjoy the mild weather when another car hit them from behind.
The dog, a four-year-old pit bull mix, jumped out the open back window, which surprised the owner, because the dog had never done anything like that before.
No one was injured in the accident, and after quickly searching for Ariel, Fickel saw her sitting on the side of the four-lane highway in Clawson, Michigan.
Relieved that her dog had safely crossed the busy road, Fickel called Ariel.
Ariel, a four-year-old pit bull mix, ran to get help after being involved in a car accident.
Melissa Fickel, 31, adopted Ariel in 2020 and the two have been inseparable companions ever since.
Ariel ran away and her owner couldn’t chase her because she was standing in the middle of the road.
The pit bull mix, who likes to solve puzzles with treats, went to her doggy daycare, Hounds Town Metro Detroit, where she has been a regular for about three years.
Ariel traveled a mile to get to her daycare and when she arrived, she tried to get the staff’s attention.
Security camera footage recorded at the daycare showed a distraught Ariel pacing back and forth in front of the door.
He even jumped against the glass door and looked inside.
Soon, the daycare employees noticed something was going on and came out and found Ariel.
They pet the anxious dog, comforted her and gave her some water.
Just 20 minutes after the accident, daycare owner Travis Ogden called Fickel to tell him they had his dog.
Ariel’s owner, who had been worried about his dog’s safety, burst into tears.
Ariel, who loves to solve puzzles with candy, ran to the daycare she has been attending for three years.
The daycare owner called Fickel 20 minutes after the accident to tell him that Ariel was with him.
Fickel and Ariel have a special relationship; Fickel adopted her in 2020 and they were soon reunited after the accident.
Ogden told the Washington Post that Ariel probably escaped the accident because she wanted to find a safe place where she could get help.
“She was running to get out of there and get back to where her friends are, where she could find help.”
And although Ogden was confused when Ariel showed up at daycare without Fickel, it made sense to him when he found out about the car accident.
“The dogs are very intelligent and know their routes,” Ogden said.
“They’re constantly looking out the window.”
