One intelligent dog sprung into action when her owner was rear-ended at a stoplight while on their way to a park in Detroit. Melissa Fickel says she was taken aback by her dog, Aries, who got scared and jumped out the window after her car was hit.
“I was surprised when she jumped out because she’d never done anything like that before,” the 31-year-old recalled of the incident on the afternoon of February 24, 2024. While nobody was injured in the accident, Aries had her goal set on seeking out help.
Initially, Melissa saw her dog sitting on the side of the busy Rochester Road in Clawson, Michigan. But as soon as Aries saw her owner, she took off running.
“I was in the middle of the road, and I couldn’t run after her.” Soon, her dog disappeared from her sight. Melissa decided to pull her car over and do a search on foot. But then the police showed up and she had to take care of talking to them about the car crash.
More from LittleThings: Families Adopt Dogs Before Meeting And Lose It While Having To Pick Them In Random Order
“I couldn’t find her, and I had to deal with talking to police and my insurance company, so I decided to take it one step at time,” she said. She noted that the car damage for her and the person who rear-ended her were minor.
The officer on the scene called in a description so that other officers could be on the lookout for Aries. Twenty minutes later, Melissa got a text from Travis Ogden, the owner of Hounds Town Metro Detroit. Aries goes to the doggy day care once a week.
To Melissa's relief, Aries was at the doggy day care, which was a mile away from the accident. “I started crying,” she shared.
Travis said that Aries was spotted by an employee pacing and jumping up and down outside the front door of the building. “She’d run straight to her safe spot and was trying to attract their attention,” Melissa said. When Travis let the dog in, she ran over and licked his face.
“I love that dog and knew immediately it was her,” he said. “She’s a really social dog who is always ready to play and have fun with the other pups.” Once he learned of the accident, it made sense to him why Aries showed up without Melissa. “Dogs are really smart and know their routes,” he explained. “They’re constantly looking out the window.”
While Aries wasn't wearing a car harness during the accident, Melissa plans to put her in one for the future. “So many things could have gone wrong because she had to cross a busy four-lane road to get to the doggy day care,” she said. “I was really thankful to learn she was safe in a place she loves.”
