For Kaleb Benham, it was the moment of life and death when his beloved dog was captured by a bear. Not thinking any long, Kaleb jumped in to fight off the bear and forced his jaws open to free his dog, Buddy. With his quick thinking and fearless actions, Kaleb was able to save his dog's life.
Being a pet owner one knows how these little animals mean the world to us. Seeing them in pain or letting go of a pet is one of the most difficult tasks especially if the bond is of many years. This brave pet owner recalls the dangerous moment when he fought with a bear to save the life of his dog.
Kaleb Benham from Grass Valley, California, even in his worst dreams never imagined that one day he would be fighting a huge bear.
According to CBS 13, Kaleb was out playing with his 90 pounds pitbull Buddy near his home off You Bet Road. Things then took turn for the worst and Kaleb realized something was terribly wrong.
"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," Kaleb said.
Fighting a bear was definitely not easy but for Kaleb, it was a fight worth fighting for. It was the question of saving his pet's life.
"Honestly the only thing I could think of was 'save my baby,'" Kaleb 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," he added.
For Kaleb, it was actually a fight against time as after freeing his dog from the jaws of 350 pounds bear, he immediately rushed to the vet.
Tough time for Kaleb did not end here as when he stopped off at the closest vet to his house and saw it was shut due to a positive Covid-19 case, he admits that he thought he was going to lose his beloved dog.
A man’s love for man’s best friend is a powerful force. Kaleb Benham from Grass Valley took on a 350 pound bear that was attacking his rescue dog, “Buddy.” Kaleb said he heard a growl the saw the bear dragging buddy “by his head.” So he tackled the bear and punched it pic.twitter.com/XAhTrS2AEC
— Anna Giles (@AnnaGilesTV) December 4, 2020
It was as if God listened to his desperate plea and one of the vet's hospital 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," Kaleb recalled.
According to CBS 13, Buddy required staples, stitches, and tubes inserted into his head in order to drain fluid.
Kaleb's efforts were worth it as the dog is now making a good recovery and says the bear is still lurking near their house and refuses to leave them alone, visiting the pair "several times" since the attack.
Kaleb said: "It made an attack and had its food and its food got taken from it and it wants it back, I feel like."
Buddy’s face was severely damaged. His ears had to be stapled back on. But he’s recovering! Kaleb and Buddy spent Thanksgiving laying in bed resting, but they’re more thankful than ever. Photo of Buddy as Kaleb watched from outside the operating room ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/T8IhDjkvLs
— Anna Giles (@AnnaGilesTV) December 4, 2020