Timber

Purina Animal Hall of Fame Award Recipient: Dog Rescues Owner from Freezing N.S. Lake

On February 2, 2025, Jenna Galloway took her dog Timber, a five-year-old Australian Shepherd, skijoring (skiing while being pulled by a dog wearing a harness) on a cold afternoon in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia.

It had snowed the night before and Jenna was looking forward to enjoying one of her favourite winter activities with her beloved dog.

Jenna had travelled this trail several times before. They were having a great time, as they usually did, until what Jenna assumed was solid ground turned out to be a frozen lake.

“About halfway through, the ice gave way,” shares Jenna. “I was like, oh my gosh, we're in the water. I have skis on, I can't get out. What do I do?”

Timber was also in the icy water, still attached to Jenna by his harness.

“It took my breath away. I couldn't breathe. It was so cold,” says Jenna.

Battling the frigid water, Jenna managed to pull Timber out of the lake and found the strength to give him the command "hike," which signals him to move forward.

She wasn't expecting Timber to pull her out. Panicked and struggling to stay afloat, Jenna focused first on removing her skis. Once they were off, she continued calling out the command.

Determined to help his owner, Timber moved forward and managed to wrap his line around several twig branches. The added tension gave Jenna something to pull against, helping her climb out of the icy water to safety.

Jenna says that without Timber, she's afraid to think about what might have happened. No one knew where she was, and her phone had fallen into the water with her.

“Timber would’ve never left me. He would’ve gotten back into the icy water with me if I didn’t get out.”

A heartfelt congratulations to Timber, a true hero and deserving recipient of the Purina Animal Hall of Fame Award. Learn more about our program here.