From Engine to Embrace: Tiny Dog Wedged Inside Car Engine Miraculously Survives

“She Chased a Cat… and Ended Up Inside a Car Engine”

Nova’s day started like any other — until curiosity got the better of her.

While chasing a cat through a Phoenix neighborhood, the 2-year-old Weimaraner mix darted under a vintage ’67 Chevy Nova… and somehow got stuck inside the car’s engine compartment.

Trapped, frightened, and unable to move, Nova whimpered softly — her paws wedged tightly between the tangled metal parts.

Luckily, a passerby heard her cries and called for help.

That’s when the Arizona Humane Society’s Emergency Animal Medical Technicians™ (EAMTs) arrived.

“We got a report of a dog stuck inside a car engine,” rescuers shared. “When we arrived, we couldn’t believe our eyes — a full-sized dog jammed into a space that should’ve been impossible.”

For the next 15 tense minutes, the team carefully worked to free Nova, gently maneuvering around the sharp edges and tight spaces. Piece by piece, they untangled her legs until finally — Nova was free.

And the moment her paws touched the ground, everything changed.

The terrified stray who’d been trembling in fear suddenly melted into the arms of her rescuers — licking their faces, her tail wagging furiously.

“Once she was safe, she turned into the sweetest, most affectionate girl,” the team said.

They took her straight to the Arizona Humane Society for a full check-up. Miraculously, Nova escaped with only a few minor scratches — no broken bones, no serious injuries.

At the shelter, the team decided she deserved a name as strong as her spirit — and so they called her Nova, after the Chevy that nearly swallowed her whole.

Over the next few days, Nova rested, healed, and began to show her true personality — gentle, loving, endlessly grateful. After being spayed and cared for, she was finally ready for the next chapter of her journey: finding a forever home.

Whoever opens their heart to Nova won’t just be adopting a dog — they’ll be welcoming a survivor, a symbol of resilience and hope.

“In ten years,” one rescuer said, “Nova is the only full-sized dog we’ve ever rescued from a car engine. She’s one in a million.”

From the darkness of a metal trap to the warmth of loving hands — Nova’s story is proof that even in the strangest, scariest places, hope can still be found.