The bond between 92-year-old Marie Alexander and her rescue dog, Sassy is undeniable.
As Alexander sits on her recliner, Sassy sits in her lap.
"She follows me everywhere," said Alexander.
And that is a good thing and just might have saved her life.
On August 13, Alexander went to check the mail outside of her Inverness home. Thinking she was just going to pop out for a second, she did not bring her cell phone with her. But, she did have Sassy by her side.
While walking back to her house, Alexander tripped on one of her pathway's stones. She ended up falling backwards and hit her head.
"I saved her at the shelter and she saved me," Alexander explained.
Sassy, a typically quiet dog unless the doorbell rings, went into protective mode, watching over Alexander for five hours, only leaving her to bark at passing cars.
"She ran down every car that passed," Alexander recalled.
In between barking at cars, Sassy would come back and check on Alexander.
"Sassy came up and laid beside me each time and licked my face," Alexander added.
Alexander's home sits behind some brush and a fence, making her hard to see to those passing by. She says she prayed and tried to crawl to shade. Only, she didn't make it far and ended up in an ant pile.
Her son and daughter-in-law also live in a house on the same property but they were gone and not expected back until after dark.
Five hours would pass and finally, someone walked by the home.
Sassy immediately ran up to fence and barked at the person. That's when the Good Samaritan noticed Alexander laying in the yard and ran to help.
"I am so glad I got her at that shelter," Alexander said.
Alexander was taken to the hospital and treated for severe dehydration and bruised ribs.
According to family members, the entire time Alexander was in the hospital, Sassy barked looking for her.
"She doesn't want to leave me alone," she said.
Once home, Sassy quickly found her spot on Alexander's lap and was ready to give her kisses.
Alexander says she rescued Sassy in 2010 from the shelter. Sassy had belonged to another woman who had to move into a nursing home and could not take Sassy along.
"People don't give them [animals] credit for what they do," Alexander concluded.
Sassy did get extra treats for saving her owner. And, on her birthday, she will be getting a cupcake.
