The Riverside Veterinary Hospital of Boscawen is presenting 13-year-old Danny Foote with its first annual "Pets and Their People" award for helping rescue a greyhound puppy named Maia from a storm drain in Bedford. The hospital is presenting the award Sept. 29 and offering discounts on microchip implants like the one Maia had, which helped reunite her with her family.

Danny told the Monitor about the rescue.

How did you realize there was a puppy in a storm drain? I was walking to the bus stop . . . and I heard sort of like a noise. And I looked down, and I thought I was seeing things, and I jumped back. I just saw a dog looking up at me.

What did you do? My first reaction was to go get help, so I ran home to get my mom. I was kind of worried about its health. . . . It looked like it was a little bit sickly, like it hadn't eaten in a few days.

How did you get her out? We were trying to figure out a way to get it out, (but) I had to go to school. My mom called the school later to tell me how it was doing. They had gotten it out safe, and it was driven to the Bedford Animal Rescue League.

Did you ever get to see her again? Not while she was at the hospital, but when we met up . . . she was all happy, she was really playful, a little bit scared.

What did you think when you found out about the award? I think it was something that any person would do, but I'm excited about the award, I guess. I'm not gonna lie.

KATE DAVIDSON