Hero Dog Who Fought Off Mountain Lion Attack In Northern California Dies Suddenly
DAVIS (CBS13) – The dog who fought off a mountain lion in far Northern California and saved her owner has passed away.
Eva's family announced the hero dog's passing in an Instagram post.
The Belgian Malinois was brought to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital on Tuesday after Eva's condition suddenly started to take a turn. Eva's family said that she started having more seizures and was soon comatose.
By Wednesday morning, Eva's family had to say goodbye.
"There were no changes to her condition overnight. Goodbye my beautiful sweet girl," Eva's owner wrote on Instagram.
Eva's story gained national attention back in May when, during an afternoon stroll along the Trinity River, the dog's owner was attacked by a mountain lion.
Despite being outclassed by the cougar, Eva came running when her owner yelled and engaged the big cat.
"They fought for a couple seconds, and then I heard her start crying," Erin Wilson said.
Eva and the cougar continued to struggle. Wilson managed to flag down a passerby and together they beat the big cat with a PVC pipe, tire iron and pepper spray until it let go of the dog.
The battle left Eva with two skull fractures, a punctured sinus cavity and severe damage to her left eye.
Eva was stabilized and appeared to be on her way to recovery.
"You are my world, my light, my best friend. The world is a much darker place," Eva's owner wrote.
It's unclear if the mountain lion will ever be found, but wildlife officials say such attacks are extremely rare.
