Service dogs are trained to help people in different ways – from helping the blind to helping notify someone if their blood sugar is too low. But, every once in a while, even a service dog needs a little bit of help, too. Nova Riley, a 14-month old Bernese Mountain dog, had been training to help his owner, Robynne Simons-Sealy get around better. The eager pup got spooked while in the parking lot of a grocery store and wiggled out of her harness. She ran away before anyone could stop her.

Simons-Sealy is disabled and had been working with Nova to help her move around better and safely. After Nova ran off, Simons-Sealy said that her neighbors and members of the community helped her search, but they couldn’t find her. Over the next two months, she said, there were sightings of Nova, but she would run from the strangers. The weather became freezing and Simons-Sealy began to worry that Nova would never be found.

14-month-old Bernese Mountain Dog Nova Riley was found by hikers on a mountain trail in Colorado two months after she went missing. Photo courtesy of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

But in Colorado, the winter weather brings hikers to the area trails. And one week before Thanksgiving, two hikers heard a noise off a trail and when they investigated – they found a shivering dog with a broken leg. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, the two hikers tried to walk up to the scared dog, but one was bitten because the pup was hurt and scared. The hikers made a call for help and one of them went to meet with rangers and Animal Control Officer Kylie Rupe.

The hiker that was bit, Rupe said, only had a minor injury and didn’t need any stitches. Rupe and the rangers hiked the three miles to where Nova was. She had a broken leg and had lost weight, but a ranger knew immediately who she was because of a lost dog poster he had seen. Using food, Rupe said Nova quickly came around and let the rescuers help her. “When we first got up there I had brought treats and food up with me, knowing she would probably be very food-motivated at that point,” Rupe said.

I used food to make friends, and she was very friendly but skittish.”

Using a tarp, Rupe and the rangers carried Nova down the trail where Simons-Sealy was waiting. “(Nova) was a little wary at first because it had been so long, but once she got some good sniffs it was all happy barks and wiggly butts and very exciting,” Rupe said. Despite her injury and hunger, Nova began shaking in happiness when she saw her person. “When I walked up to the car it was like I was just another human being, and then she realized and she went crazy,” Simons-Sealy said. “It was so beautiful and so heartwarming and the most wonderful sound of her realizing, ‘I’m safe, I’m okay.’”

Nova Riley recovers at home after having been missing for 2 months. Photo courtesy Robynne Simons-Sealy

Nova will need to have her broken leg amputated, Simons-Sealy said. The pup is being loved on and fed well after having lost 20 pounds while she was lost. “She survived two snow storms and below-freezing weather,” Simons-Sealy told the outlet. “I was in tears every time it snowed.” While Nova can’t be a service dog for Simons-Sealy, she will still be living with her as a furry member of the family. Community donations have poured in to help Simons-Sealy with Nova’s medical bills. “I can’t say enough about the kindness of people here,” Simons-Sealy said. Watch below for this amazing rescue story!

Sources: NY Post |  Denver Post