He was too weak and cold to stand.
Earlier this month in Colorado Springs, 9-year-old Nova Skaggs stepped outside for a short break from her schoolwork. Something nudged her toward the fence at the far edge of her backyard.
As she drew closer, she heard faint cries.
Looking over the fence and into a concrete drainage channel below, Nova spotted a massive black dog trapped inside. His paws were scraped and bleeding, and he stood still in the culvert, staring downward as though he no longer had the strength to escape.
Nova sprinted back inside to alert her father, Rob Skaggs. He grabbed a leash, and together they returned outside, carefully following the edge of the ditch.
Rob climbed down the steep five-foot embankment first. At the bottom, he found a large Great Dane, cold, exhausted, and weighing well over 100 pounds. Nova followed close behind. She clipped the leash onto the dog’s collar and sat beside him while her dad contacted Animal Law Enforcement (ALE), a unit of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.
“When I arrived, she was already sitting with him,” ALE Officer Johnathan Roe told The Dodo. “She asked if she could stay with him until we could get him out.”
Officer Roe climbed down to examine the dog. Blood streaks on the concrete showed where the animal had repeatedly tried to climb out. Thankfully, after checking him over, the officer found no serious injuries beyond his damaged paws.
A microchip scan revealed the dog’s name was Bruce — and, like Nova, he was 9 years old. His family had been searching for him for hours.
Because older Great Danes often struggle with joint pain, it wasn’t surprising that Bruce was unable — or unwilling — to stand.
Throughout the rescue, Nova stayed beside him, softly petting him and speaking calmly. Officer Roe called for backup, and when Officer Winston Murphy arrived, Nova didn’t budge from Bruce’s side.
Working together, the officers carefully lifted Bruce onto a stretcher and carried him out of the culvert. At one point, Bruce became frightened, so the team paused to calm him before continuing.
With help from a nearby Good Samaritan, the officers loaded Bruce into their vehicle. Nova kept cheering him on the entire time.
“She stayed right there throughout the rescue,” Officer Murphy said. “Always close enough to comfort him, but never in the way.”
Rob later explained that large coyotes frequently travel through the drainage area — and he believes they would have reached Bruce if Nova hadn’t trusted her instincts.
“She’s incredibly proud of herself,” Rob said. “She’s convinced this is her future — either animal law enforcement or becoming a veterinarian.”
Bruce was reunited with his family at the Humane Society. After warming up during the ride, he was able to step out of the truck and walk to them on his own. His family later took him to the veterinarian to make sure he was fully recovered.
Officers Roe and Murphy say they’ll never forget the young girl who helped save Bruce’s life.
“Seeing that smile on her face,” Officer Murphy said, “and knowing how much that moment meant to her — it’ll stay with me forever.”