Many people say they would do anything for their pets, but how far would you go to save your pet’s life?
Recently, one heroic man proved just how much his dog meant to him, putting his life in danger and facing down a giant bear to save his beloved pet’s life.
Kaleb Benthan, from Grass Valley, California, is the owner of a pit bull named Buddy, whom he rescued from a shelter a few years ago.
But on the day before Thanksgiving, Kaleb heard a noise from the backyard that told him his friend was in serious trouble.
Buddy was in the grip of a 350-pound bear.
“I heard a growl, looked about 75-100 feet down, and the bear was dragging him by his head, had his head in his mouth,” Kaleb told CBS Sacramento.
Kaleb was shocked — but in an instant, he decided to put his own life at risk and fight off the bear, hoping to save his friend’s life.
“I just ran down there, plowed into the bear, tackled it and grabbed it by the throat and started hitting it in the face and the eye until it let go,” he said.
“Honestly the only thing I could think of was ‘save my baby.'”
Kaleb was able to successfully fight off the bear, getting Buddy back. Then, he had to rush him to the vet. The poor dog had been badly mauled by the bear, and he feared it might be too late.
Buddy’s face was severely damaged. His ears had to be stapled back on. But he’s recovering! Kaleb and Buddy spent Thanksgiving laying in bed resting, but they’re more thankful than ever. Photo of Buddy as Kaleb watched from outside the operating room ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/T8IhDjkvLs
— Anna Twomey (@TwomeyMedia) December 4, 2020
He took him to Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital, who immediately got the dog in emergency surgery, who put staples and stitches in his wounded head. Kaleb waited in a panic for over three hours.
But thankfully, the life-saving effort was a success. While Buddy’s face was torn up pretty badly and he went home in a protective cone, he survived to see another Thanksgiving.
Kaleb says that the bear is still in his neighborhood and has returned to his house several times, looking to get its “food” back, but Buddy has remained safe and sound.
We’ve seen stories of dogs instinctively stepping up to protect their human owners from bear attacks, but it takes a special kind of bravery to put your life on the line for your pet.
But Kaleb says it was only natural: Buddy is such an important part of his life he didn’t think twice before jumping to his rescue.
“If it was your kid, what would you do,” he told CBS Sacramento. “That’s my kid, I would die for my dog.”
What a hero! Thank you to this man for facing down a giant bear to save his dog’s life!
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