We all remember the classic show Lassie, where the titular hero dog saves the day by getting help when someone is in danger. But it turns out, that show wasn’t far from reality: we’ve heard many stories of dogs saving lives by raising the alarm.
That was the case recently, when one dog ran four miles to get help for his injured owner.
According to a Facebook post from the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, a man named Brandon Garrett was traveling on U.S. Forest Service Road 39 in Halfway, Oregon when he “failed to negotiate a curve” and crashed into an embankment.
Garrett was injured but was able to crawl 100 yards from the vehicle, and remained there overnight. But he wasn’t alone — he was with three of his dogs, one of which ran off to get help.
The dog ran four miles to the camp where Garrett’s family was staying, and they realized something was wrong. Spurred by the dog’s alert, they headed out to look for Garrett and found his wrecked vehicle, but were unable to reach it due to the terrain.
They contacted the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, who responded to the scene. Sheriff Ash searched through the brushy ravine until he heard a cry for help. He located Garrett and performed first aid while fire volunteers and U.S. Forest SErvice employees cleared a path with chainsaws.
The Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team then set up equipment and, using a rope system, pulled him up to safety in a rescue basket.
Garrett was airlifted to a regional hospital; his three other dogs were also located alive on the scene.
Many people have reacted to the story, thanking the responding officers but especially praising the dog as the hero who saved the day.
“What a dog to travel 4 miles back to camp to get help…..that was unbelievable…..That dog deserves a medal for that!” one comment reads.
“That doggo helped save his life!!” another wrote.
“What an amazing dog to find his way to the family.”
“Somebody get that dog a bone, he saved his person.”
Thank you to everyone who helped save this man’s life, especially his smart dog! Please share this story!
