Aries, a smart and quick-thinking Pitbull mix, proved exactly how clever she was after a frightening moment on the road. When a car crash left her startled and confused, she did not waste a second. She took off straight for the one place where she knew she would be safe.
Melissa Fickel, a longtime animal foster from Detroit, had adopted Aries three years earlier after deciding she was finally ready to bring a forever companion into her life. Aries did not take long to become exactly that.
From then on, the two were rarely apart, filling their days with shared routines and little adventures. But during an afternoon drive to the park, everything changed when another vehicle slammed into Melissa’s car.
Instinct Leads Aries To Familiar Ground
Though the crash wasn’t severe and no one was injured, the sudden noise and jolt sent Aries into a panic. Without hesitation, she jumped through the open window and took off.
“I had the windows down because Aries likes to hang her head out and as soon as there was that smack, as soon as I felt and heard it, almost instantaneously, she was out of the window,” Melissa told local television station WXYZ Detroit.
Melissa remained at the scene to speak with police and handle insurance matters, but her thoughts were consumed by worry. “I can’t really think about it because so many things could’ve happened,” she said.
Aries could have run into traffic or gotten lost. Instead, she followed her instincts and headed toward a place she knew well.
Just a mile away was a familiar destination Hounds Town – Detroit Metro, the doggy daycare Aries had visited many times before.
She ran directly there, and Travis Ogden, the facility’s owner, recognized her immediately and welcomed her inside.
Daycare Staff Witness A Determined Arrival
Aries arrived just as the staff was taking a midday break in the lobby. From the corner of their eye, they spotted a dark blur racing toward the entrance.
Security footage showed Aries sprinting to the door, leaping up in distress, and trying to get inside. An employee stepped out and found her waiting, panting and visibly shaken, but clearly determined to reach safety.
Ogden recognized her right away. “She was like, ‘this is where I go and this is where I stay.’ She just seemed like she knew what to do,” he told WXYZ.
It’s likely Aries followed the scent of the building, drawn by the comfort and security she associated with her daycare.
Though she was anxious at first, Aries began to relax once inside. Meanwhile, Melissa remained at the crash site, still unsure of her dog’s whereabouts.
Then her phone rang.
“Luckily then he called me and said ‘she’s here’, and I literally sank to the ground,” Melissa said, evidently relieved that her companion was safe and sound.
Despite all the things that could have gone wrong, Aries had found her way to safety on her own.
Soon after, the pair were reunited, and Melissa says Aries is back to enjoying her favorite pastime: riding in the car.