A DOG owner in the U.S. state of California says he recently fought off a massive bear, tackling it to the ground and punching it in the face after it attacked his pit bull, Buddy.

Kaleb Benham, who lives in Nevada County, California, says his 90-pound (40.5 kilograms) rescue dog, Buddy, was playing near his home the day before Thanksgiving when the attack occurred. Bentham said that he heard growls outside, and when he went to check on Buddy, he found the roughly 350-pound bear “dragging him by his head.”

“Honestly, the only thing I could think of was ‘save my baby,’” Benham said.

Benham ran outside and attacked the bear, successfully rescuing Buddy. “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.

After the ordeal, Benham was desperate to rush Buddy to a veterinary hospital, but found that the one closest to his house was closed due to a positive COVID-19 case.

“My first thought was that I was going to lose him,” Benham said.

Benham eventually brought Buddy to Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital in Grass Valley, where the dog was rushed into surgery. Benham said he watched for more than three hours as Buddy got staples, stitches and tubes inserted into his head to drain fluid.

Benham said Buddy is expected to make a full recovery.  

(SD-Agencies)