School Trip Tests Pet's Loyalty

Nikki's day at school in Eagleville, Tenn., is filled with the 3R's - running, resting and retrieving.

That's because Nikki is a dog, and this dog's life includes school.

WTVF reporter Dana Kaye says the pet is so loyal that she follows her family to school each weekday, racing after the yellow school bus for seven miles each morning and racing back seven miles each afternoon.

Fortunately, the bus route is a popular one, with frequent stops along the way to pick up and discharge pupils. This gives the panting Nikki a chance to catch up.

Nikki is a familiar figure to the other children in school, Kaye reports, and has become something of a school mascot. "He never does anything that scares the children," said vice principal Rhonda Holton, (not realizing Nikki is female).

In fact, it seems that Nikki spends most of the day napping outside the school doors, resting up for the long trek home.

Nikki's owners are Ricky and Cory Alexander and their sister, Jolen. The children say Nikki is very protective of Cory, the youngest of the three. That explains why Nikki's school adventures began when Cory started kindergarten.

Since then, the dog's daily test of loyalty has become legendary among Eagleville's school-age set.

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