“He tried to be a decent guy his entire life.” He did, however, fail numerous times. He was, after all, only human. “He wasn’t a dog,” as Charles M. Schulz put it, and we couldn’t agree more. Our four-legged companions, time and again, change our notion of unconditional love and loyalty.
This story is rather disturbing, and I’d want to caution more sensitive readers of the contents ahead, as it involves some harm done to a dog by a mountain lion while it was protecting its owner from the attack.
Before we get into the specifics, I’d like to express my gratitude for being here, for all of your comments and upvotes. If you’d want to follow the author as well, that’d be great, but without further ado, let’s get started.
More info: Instagram
Erin Wilson and her 2-year-old puppy Eva were out for a walk in the afternoon heat when tragedy struck
Erin Wilson (24) was spending the afternoon in Big Bar, Trinity County, California, with her 2-year-old dog Eva.
According to wildlife officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), they were driving on State Route 299 before stopping beside the road near a picnic spot near the Trinity River and going for a walk.
When Erin detected a disturbance beside her, Eva was slightly ahead of her and off her leash.
Then she heard a strange noise, and the next thing she knew, a mountain lion had raked its claws across her shoulder, ready for another attack
A mountain lion came out of the bushes and swiped Erin across the left shoulder, injuring her.
The cougar roared and readied for its second attack, leading the woman to shout Eva’s name in shock, and the dog charged at the creature without hesitation.
The mountain lion lost interest in Erin, allowing her to flee to safety; nevertheless, the tragedy was just getting started.
Erin yelled for Eva, and the pup charged at the cougar with all her power without hesitation
The huge cat refused to let go of the dog’s head. “They battled for a couple seconds, and then I heard her start weeping,” Erin told TODAY. That’s when the cat grabbed her cranium.”
Fearing about her beloved pet, the diminutive woman began attacking the mountain lion herself, throwing boulders at it before attempting to tug and pull it apart, even attempting to choke and gouge out the feline’s eyes, but to no avail. The lion refused to budge.
Erin dashed back up the road and flagged down a passing vehicle driven by Sharon Houston, determined to locate help. When she realized what was going on, she rushed back to the fighting animals with a can of pepper spray and a PVC pipe.
Unfortunately, the pepper spray had no effect, merely encouraging the mountain lion to proceed off the track, dragging the poor puppy along with it.
Unfortunately, the cat won, chomping down on the dog’s head. Erin was not about to give up her pet dog without a struggle.
Erin, on the other hand, was not about to give up her puppy that lightly. The two started striking the mountain lion with the PVC pipe, with Erin shrieking, “‘Get the f**k off my dog!'” according to The Sacramento Bee. “And then it just let go and raced away.”
She scooped up her glasses that had fallen to the ground, hugged Sharon, and rushed her bleeding dog back into the car.
The woman wasted little time transporting her pet to the VCA Asher Animal Hospital for emergency care, ignoring her own injuries in the process. Connor Kenny, Erin’s husband, told SFGATE that the dog had two skull fractures, a perforated sinus cavity, major damage to her left eye, and was having convulsions.
The pup’s fate remained unknown, but Erin encouraged her to fight on: “I was like, ‘Just stay with me, dog.'” I adore you. I can’t function without you. Simply do not go. ‘Don’t abandon me.'”
She flung boulders at the mountain lion, attempting to choke and blind it before stopping a passing automobile and requesting assistance
She didn’t consider her own wounds until she arrived at the facility. Her injuries, which included bite wounds, scrapes, bruises, and abrasions, were treated in Redding. Fortunately, none of them were life-threatening.
Erin launched their GoFundMe page to assist cover the medical expenditures and was quickly overwhelmed by the public’s love and support for her brave pet.
The event raised more than $32,000, well beyond the family’s needs. In an Instagram post, Erin explained where the money would go: “Any more monies will go towards her aftercare, some very substantial pampering, insuring her safety and quality of life, my medical costs, and a few charity of our choosing.” We’re looking into Malinois rescues, big cat rescues, and predator management organizations.”
The individual carried a PVC pipe and pepper spray, and with their assistance, the mountain lion finally let go of the dog, fleeing into the bush
The pup fought hard for her life, and with the help of the vets and her family, she became stronger with each passing day. They were able to return home on May 20th and even celebrated with a milkshake on the way.
Her favorite toys are at her side as she recovers, and her sister Mishka is anxiously waiting for her to get better so they can play. She has, however, taken to sleeping under the bed rather than on it.
“Eva is doing well,” Erin stated on Instagram. She’s resting a lot, eating a lot, and getting back to her old self.” She is expected to be back to normal in the coming weeks.
Erin didn’t waste any time in getting her bleeding puppy to the nearest emergency vet. The puppy was severely injured
Eva is a Belgian Malinois, which means she is extremely bright and athletic. Because the breed requires a lot of social interaction and exercise, it is highly suited for police and military duties. If you’re interested in reading about one such dog joining the Ukrainian army, I’ll put a link below.
However, because of their strong needs for excitement and physical activity, they may not be the perfect pets for everyone, which is why the duo met in the first place. Eva’s former family found the puppy to be a bit too much work when she was about four months old. Fortunately, Erin and Eva hit it off right away, developing a strong friendship.
Eva had two skull fractures, a sinus cavity puncture, serious damage to her left eye, and was having seizures. It was unknown whether the puppy would survive
Despite the fact that she knew why this couldn’t be the case with the prior family. They’re basically “a German shepherd on steroids or crack cocaine,” Erin joked to NPR. Despite this, her characteristics, as well as her undying loyalty to her master, saved both of their lives.
When asked about the event, Erin told The Sacramento Bee that she’d do anything for her dog, and she’s confident Eva would do the same. She believes Eva saved her life that day, adding that “if [Eva] had waited another second or two longer, it definitely would have leaped up and bit me in the face, head, and neck.”
However, with the joint care of the vets and her family, she was able to maintain her vigor and was discharged home a few days later.
Erin launched a GoFundMe page to assist cover the medical expenditures, and she was quickly overwhelmed by the public’s love and support for her brave pooch.
State officials paid Eva and Wilson visits as they began their inquiry and hunt for the cat. A California voter-approved law that prohibited mountain lion hunting in 1990 provides wildlife agents discretion to kill mountain lions that attack pets, livestock, or people. However, as awful and frightening as the occurrence was, it is extremely rare for something like this to occur.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 126 assaults, 27 of which were deadly, have occurred in North America over the last century.
According to The Mountain Lion Foundation, given the population density of mountain lions to people, you are more likely to drown in your bathtub, be killed by a pet dog, or be struck by lightning than encounter a cougar. “If lions had a natural desire to hunt humans, there would be assaults every day.” They instead avoid us.”
She’s continuing her recuperation with her favorite toys by her side, and happily, none of Erin’s injuries were life-threatening.
It will be some time before Eva returns to her normal self, but at least the narrative has a happy ending.
Mountain lions enjoy deep foliage and cover and will flee if they feel a threat. Mountain lions are difficult to study and count due to their solitary and secretive nature; yet, their population in the United States is believed to exceed 30,000. Because these cats are notoriously secretive, you must remain vigilant if you live, work, or play in cat country.
If you are unfortunate enough to face one, follow these three simple steps: do not run, appear threatening, and fight back. Try to remain calm and maintain eye contact with the cat. Make yourself appear larger by opening your coat or raising your arms, as the cat will not attack you if you appear to be a threat to them. Slowly wave your arms and speak clearly, as high-pitched screams may elicit an attack from the cat.
If you happen to come across a mountain lion, don’t panic, don’t flee, seem scary, and fight back.
We can’t wait to witness more of Erin and Eva’s exploits and wish them a speedy recovery.
We wish Erin and Eva a quick and uncomplicated physical and mental recovery. The couple appears to be on their road back to normalcy, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for them. “My dog is my hero, and I owe her my life,” Erin added.
Leave us a comment with your opinions, and I wish you all safe travels!
People have continued to express their love and support for the couple. Please share your opinions in the comments section!
Leave a Reply