Couple brutally mauled by bear in horror attack before French Bulldog dies saving them
A California couple have their French Bulldog to thank for saving their lives after a brutal bear attack left them with serious injuries.
Jeff and Mallory Wilson's dog Cassie was outside late at night when she barked just once, which prompted Jeff to go an investigate outside.
He opened the door and was shocked to find a cinnamon bear, which attacked him and knocked him to the floor, with his partner Mallory heading outside when she heard the loud noises.
She was also attacked and has been left with grave injuries to her face and body, but soon the concern switched to Cassie's welfare, after the bear picked up the dog in its mouth and began to run away.
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Mallory acted quickly and threw a chair at the bear which caused it to drop Cassie and after Jeff wrestled with the bear a bit more, it finally left them alone, but the damage to Cassie was already done.
Speaking to Redheaded Blackbelt, Jeff said: “I think you know the bear was startled by us just as much as we were startled [by it]."
The couple rushed their beloved pet to the emergency vets with cuts down her spine and several bite wounds, but they were hopeful that she would recover after she returned home and started to walk and drink water by herself.
Tragically she would pass away the next morning, which has left Jeff and Mallory with both physical and emotional trauma to deal with as they recover from their own injuries, which include broken ribs, bite and puncture wounds and cuts over their body.
She was never meant to be a hero, she was not our guard dog. She was just our sweet indoor lap baby,” the dog’s owner, Mallory told Redheaded Blackbelt.
Both Jeff and Mallory decided to live in Northern California in the hope of being closer to wildlife and nature, and as a self-employed couple, they are also suffering financially after cancelling jobs as they try to heal.
“This was an unprovoked and extraordinarily unusual encounter that none of us could have anticipated. We can grieve Cassie and be devastated by what happened while still respecting the wild animals that belong in these places.” the couple said, per KRON4.
This prompted long-time friend Rachel Moscon to start a fundraising page for the grieving couple, which has already raised over $10,000 at the time of writing.
“Cassie threw herself between Jeff and the bear in an effort to protect him,” Moscon wrote.
She added: "Mallory and Jeff have built their lives and livelihood surrounded by nature. They operate a small hospitality business, have years of experience living and working alongside wildlife, and take precautions to peacefully coexist with the animals that share their land.
"They are passionate animal lovers, which has made this extraordinarily rare encounter and the loss of Cassie heartbreaking on so many levels. Cassie was a deeply loved member of their family, and in the moment Jeff needed her most, this little dog courageously put herself between him and a bear."
You can donate to the fundraising page here.
James Moorhouse