Meet A Real Safety Dog – Nova 6 Toes

This is a very personal blog post for me as it took me a year to find this very special dog.

Let me unleash the tale that is Nova 6 Toes. Realizing that my Pet Safety Dog Kona is now 11, I knew I would need to find a dog who would want to be my teaching assistant in my Pet First Aid 4U classes as well as my pet behavior presentations that I give in person and via interactive ZOOM to pet parents and pet professionals.

I needed a dog who was smart, intuitive and would welcome being greeted and handled by all types of people in all types of places in our pet safety and behavior classes.

Finding Nova

I found Nova at the East Lake Pet Orphanage in Dallas. She had been surrendered voluntarily by a homeless couple who also brought in three other small female dogs. All of them, including Nova, were living in a vehicle. City officials were able to provide counseling and housing for this couple who knew that trying to care for four dogs was beyond their scope.

At the time, her name was Hazel, but I knew instantly that she was going to be a rising star in the world of pet safety. Hence, her new name, Nova. And looking at her back paws, I knew her full name needed to be Nova 6 Toes. Most dogs sport four toes on each back paw. Nova has 6 on each back paw.

At best guess, she was three at the time of adoption on Sept. 4, 2025. She underwent a thorough exam by our veterinarian and was deemed to be very healthy. The gradual introduction of her to our two dogs and two cats also went well. We did a DNA test on her and discovered she has 20 breeds, ranging from Pomeranian and Pit Bull to Great Pyrenees and Carolina Dog. All these breeds are packed inside her muscular 25-pound body.

School Time For Nova

Within a couple weeks of being with us, I enrolled Nova in a basic dog obedience group class at What a Great Dog!. She brought focus and a desire to learn in this class. We enrolled her next in a series of private training classes held in outdoor settings. She also proved to be a great learner. Then came two more levels of doggy manners classes and then finally, she successfully passed all 10 requirements to earn the prestigious American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizenship certification.

After one month in our family, I introduced her to students taking one of my pet first aid/CPR classes via interactive ZOOM. Nova seemed to study how Pet Safety Dog Kona would calmly behave during hands-on demos. Nova’s first demo was showing students how to help an injured, conscious dog by using a six-foot nylon leash as a temporary restraint in order to render first aid. Nova aced her first demo!

Nova Begins Pet Safety Dog Role

With each class, we added new demos for Nova. She now lies quietly on her side as I guide students on how to properly perform CPR, apply a makeshift splint to an injured leg and do abdominal thrusts to dislodge objects in pets who are choking.

Today, when I get ready to set up for a class – in person or online – Nova is right there, focused and ready. When I need her, she gets into place on her demo table and stands ready to assist.

As dog lovers, we all know that canines come in all sizes, personalities and preferences. Some dogs are born to swim or herd or compete in agility. Others prefer being cuddle mates on sofas with their favorite people or enjoy traveling to different destinations.

Nova is a perfect pet safety dog. She welcomes being handled and definitely welcomes getting healthy treats from our students.

Play Time for Nova

But it is also important that Nova gets to play. I’ve discovered that she lives for our daily walks to new places and new sniffs. She now drops the ball at my feet so we can play fetch in our backyard. She is terrific riding in a car and was all grins during a recent three-night camping trip in a rented RV we took with all three dogs.

Thanks for letting me share how I came to adopt this very special dog, Nova. We look forward to seeing you in one of our upcoming classes. We feature well-trained pets in Nova, Kona and Pet Safety Cat Casey. That is quite a talented trio!

And enjoy this slideshow of photos of Nova at work and at play!

Final Tip:

Show your dog and your cat how much you care for them by enrolling in one of our Pet First Aid 4U classes. We offer three options for you to earn veterinarian-approved two-year certificates in our pet first aid/CPR programs:

• In-person classes primarily aimed at pet professionals and first responders.

• Interactive via ZOOM classes offered monthly and on demand

• Self-paced online classes for those wishing to learn anytime, anywhere.

Pick the best option for you and sign up today!

About the Author:

Arden Moore, founder of Pet First Aid 4 U, is a Master Pet First Aid/CPR Instructor who teaches veterinarian-approved, hands-on safety courses alongside her teaching team of Kona (dog), Nova (dog) and Casey (cat). Known as “The Pet First Aid & Safety Coach,” Arden is also a nationally recognized behavior consultant, bestselling author of over 25 pet books , and the award-winning host of the “Oh Behave!” podcast, A Fear Free Certified Professional,she brings decades of pet expertise to all her endeavors — with a mission to help pets live safer, longer and healthier lives.