Dog Saves Craig County Rancher

An Oklahoma ranch family credits their dog with saving a life. The News on 6â€™s Emory Bryan reports on Jackie, the hero dog.<br/><br/>The â€œCircle Lazy C Ranchâ€ is home of national champion Appaloosa

Friday, February 2nd 2007, 10:27 am

By: News On 6

An Oklahoma ranch family credits their dog with saving a life. The News on 6â€™s Emory Bryan reports on Jackie, the hero dog.

The â€œCircle Lazy C Ranchâ€ is home of national champion Appaloosa horses and some Texas Longhorn Cattle. But it's the ranch dog, Jackie, that is the most valuable animal on the ranch.

â€œShe's been a sweetheart since day one,â€ rancher Bill Cass said.

Cass runs the ranch; his wife Ethelyn runs everything else. Marked on her calendar is the cold and icy day they almost lost Bill.

â€œI was just a churning in a big â€˜ol hurry and my feet went out from under me,â€ said Cass. â€œI went as high as my head, my feet did, and there I laid.â€

Cass was going out to feed the horses, and he's not the kind of fella that carries a cell phone, but Jackie was by his side.

"And so I thought there's just one way to do this," Cass said.

Mr. Cass had fallen out by the barn, just far enough from the house that no one could hear him calling for help. After he was out there for three hours, he decided his only chance was to tie his bandana to Jackie's neck and send her to the house for help.

â€œI said you go to the house, finally she went,â€ he said.

She headed home with the bandana on her collar, straight to the chair by the window where Bill knew Ethelyn would see her and get help.

Now two weeks later, Bill is getting around a little after surgery to replace a broken hip. And Jackie is waiting on the porch for him to get better.