Dog owner felt a sudden bite on her shoulder during a walk by the lake — before she could react, her brave pet had already tackled the unseen danger
A calm walk in nature can sometimes change everything in a single moment. A young woman and her loyal dog were enjoying the sunshine near the Trinity River in Northern California when danger suddenly appeared. What started as a quiet afternoon stroll on May 16, 2022, turned into a terrifying fight for survival after something bit the woman on her shoulder. Before she could react, her faithful dog rushed forward to protect her, turning the shocking moment into a brave act of rescue.
As reported by Wamiz, then 24-year-old Erin Wilson and her then two-year-old Belgian Malinois Eva were walking in the Big Bar area of Trinity County when disaster struck. Erin heard a strange noise and, before she could react, she felt a painful scratch on her shoulder. It was a mountain lion. The wild cat clamped down on her arm and prepared to attack again. Erin then shouted for Eva, who immediately ran to protect her owner, throwing herself at the large predator. While Erin managed to move to safety, the mountain lion turned on the dog, biting into her head and refusing to let go. “They fought for a couple of [sic] seconds, and then I heard her start crying,” Erin told The Sacramento Bee. “That’s when the cat latched on to her skull.”
Erin ran to the main road and managed to flag down a driver, Sharon Houston, who stopped to help. Sharon grabbed a container of pepper spray and a PVC pipe, and together they rushed back. The spray had little effect, and the mountain lion began dragging Eva away. Erin struck the animal with the pipe until it finally released her dog and fled into the woods. Despite her own injuries, Erin hurried Eva to the VCA Asher Animal Hospital. Her husband, Connor Kenny, later explained that Eva suffered two skull fractures, a punctured sinus, and damage to her left eye. Despite the severe injuries, Erin stayed by her dog’s side, whispering, “Stay with me, my dog. I love you. I can’t live without you. Just don’t go. Don’t leave me.”
Erin later received treatment for her own wounds in Redding, which included bite marks, scratches, and bruises. She started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for Eva’s treatment and raised over $35,000. Erin shared that any extra funds would go toward Eva’s recovery, her own medical bills, and donations to charity. Updates on social media showed that Eva’s condition was slowly improving. Erin wrote in an Instagram post, "Eva continues to improve. She’s been switched to oral medications." In another update, she shared, “Eva is doing well. She is resting a lot, she has a big appetite, and is returning to her old self.”
Sadly, Eva’s injuries proved too severe. Despite weeks of care, her health began to decline in early June. On June 8, 2022, Erin shared the heartbreaking news that her brave dog had passed away from her injuries. “We said goodbye at 9:20 this morning,” she wrote in another Instagram post. “Goodbye, my beautiful, sweet girl. You are my world, my light, my best friend. The world is a much darker place.”