It's the kind of thing Lassie did.

A Tumwater, Wash., police detective says an ailing homeless man attached a note seeking help to his dog's harness and sent the animal out in hopes someone would read the message.

Detective Jen Kolb tells Seattle's KIRO-TV ( http://is.gd/EhVhBQ) that a woman walking her dog along railroad tracks on Wednesday spotted the dog with the note that read, "Send Help. No Joke. Cannot walk." It also said, "Medicine not working. Need doctor."

The note was unsigned, but police eventually found the man's camp.

Kolb says the man was immobile and was afraid he was going to die, so he sent his dog, Buddy, for help.

KIRO reports the man was treated at an Olympia hospital and released.

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Information from: KIRO-TV, htthttp://www.kirotv.com/index.html