Man grabs bear by the throat in desperate attempt to save his dog's life

A pet owner has recalled the heart-pounding moment he tackled and fought with a bear in a desperate attempt to save his beloved dog's life.

Perhaps some of us can relate to getting into a fight with relatives over Thanksgiving, but Kaleb Benham from Grass Valley, California, certainly picked a feisty opponent over the holidays.

As reported by CBS 13, Benham was playing with his 90-pound pit bull, Buddy, near his home off You Bet Road. However, the pet owner was forced to spring into action when he realized something didn't sound right.

"I heard a growl, looked about 75-100 feet down, and the bear was dragging [Buddy] by his head, had his head in his mouth," Benham said.

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And despite the 350-pound beast posing a huge threat to both Buddy and Benham, that didn't stop the doting dog owner from sprinting to Buddy's aid.

"Honestly the only thing I could think of was 'save my baby,'" Benham told the news station.

"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," Benham added.

After freeing Buddy from the bear's jaws, Benham rushed to find a vet.

However, when the desperate pet owner stopped off at the closest vet to his house and saw it was shut due to a positive Covid-19 case, Benham admits that he thought he was going to lose Buddy.

Fortunately, Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital was open and ready for surgery as soon as Benham arrived.

"I just stood there and watched through the window for 3 1/2 for hours," Benham recalled.

Per CBS 13, Buddy required staples, stitches, and tubes inserted into his head in order to drain fluid.

Following his treatment, Buddy is now recovering well - but Benham says the bear is still lurking near their house and refuses to leave them alone, visiting the pair "several times" since the attack.

Benham said: "It made an attack and had its food and its food got taken from it and it wants it back, I feel like."

Explaining why he was determined to rescue Buddy - who he also rescued Buddy from a shelter a few years ago - Benham said: "If it was your kid, what would you do. That’s my kid, I would die for my dog."

Related - This man grappled with an alligator to save his dog's life: