Most of us treat our animals like part of the family. In return, dogs and cats give us their loyalty and love. One little chihuahua paid back his owner’s love by saving her life when she had fallen in a dangerous area outside the home.

12. Adopted

Sassy is a nine-year old chihuahua who didn’t have a home until he was rescued by Marie Alexander. Marie is a 92-year old grandmother who decided she needed a dog. Thankfully, she found little Sassy as a puppy living in the shelter. Sassy came to live with her. The two were always together in the house or yard.

11. Sassy

Sassy is a typical chihuahua. The American Kennel Association describes the breed as “a tiny dog with a huge personality. A national symbol of Mexico, these alert and amusing “purse dogs” stand among the oldest breeds of the Americas, with a lineage going back to the ancient kingdoms of pre-Columbian times.” Sassy certainly lived up to her name, as Marie found out after a serious fall.

10. Fall

Marie was heading out to get the mail one day when she took a wrong step. Suddenly she was crashing to the ground. She fell hard on her back right behind some bushes that were behind the fence.

9. No Phone

Marie hadn’t grabbed her cell phone. Why would she — she only expected to be gone for two minutes. As she lay on the ground alone, Marie said a prayer for help. It would be answered by her loyal companion.

8. Unable to Move

Marie’s predicament was serious. She tried to get up and found that she couldn’t move. She was stuck behind the shrubs in a spot where no one would see her. Marie feared the worst.

7. Sassy in Action

Sassy sprang into action to save Marie. She normally doesn’t bark at anything except the doorbell, but she was saving her vocals for this big moment. Sassy started barking hard enough that Marie could hear her. Although no one came to their aid, Sassy didn’t give up.

6. Ant Bites

Sassy didn’t ignore Marie as she was on the ground. If no cars were around, Sassy came over and laid beside Marie. Eventually Marie dragged herself out of the hot sun and into a shadier spot; but the spot was an ant bed. She got ant bites all over her body.

5. Sassy Gets Help

Sassy tapped into the legendary energy and personality of the chihuahua in resolving to keep barking until help arrived. Sassy barked for an astonishing five hours, yapping at every car that drove by. Not a single car stopped.

4. Something Wrong

By this point it was looking grim for Marie. Sassy was still trying to get someone’s attention. Finally, a couple who were out for a walk noticed that Sassy was barking obnoxiously. They wondered if something was wrong.

3. Found!

The couple did the right thing; rather than walking away, they followed the dog to see what she was barking at. When they opened the gate to the yard, they found Marie lying behind the bushes. She was extremely dehydrated after spending five hours on the ground.

2. Hospitalized

Marie was taken to the hospital immediately. In addition to dehydration, Marie had a sprained ankle, ant bites and bruises all over her body. She was given fluids and released.

1. A Lifesaver

Everyone marveled at Sassy’s insistence on getting help. If she had not been so persistence, Marie could have died. “I saved her at the shelter, now she saved me,” Marie said.