Search KamloopsBCNow
A dog is receiving widespread love and praise online after losing his life while protecting others from a black bear.
Pete, an older English setter, was being walked with a number of other dogs in New York State when the group came across an unsuspecting black bear.
According to the post on the Me & My Shadow Pets Instagram account, the bear was startled and turned around to face the group.
“Pete stepped up and held off the bear until I could get the other dogs to safety,” it explained. “Once I was sure they were safe, I went back and scared the bear off, but Pete was gravely injured.”
Pete was helped back to the car and taken directly to the hospital, where x-rays revealed bad spinal damage.
My husband and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love for #petethehero He was a senior dog that we adopted after fostering. His actions prove that no dog is too old to be abandoned or too lost to be loved. #oesr #rescuedogs #rainbowbridge pic.twitter.com/PdZ7gctJIB
— Me & My Shadow Pets (@mmspets) February 13, 2018
Even if a number of risky surgeries were successful, Pete would have never been able to walk again.
“We decided it was best to let him go this afternoon,” said the post from Monday. “Run free Pete, you no longer have all those aches and pains of old age.”
Based on posts from Me & My Shadow Pets, Pete had spent the last 18 months being fostered by the dog walking service after an unsuccessful stay with another family.