A hero dog credited with defending her female owner from a mountain lion attack in Northern California has died, the woman said Wednesday.
Eva, a 2.5-year-old Belgian Malinois, began having seizures last weekend at her home, Erin Wilson, 24, told the Sacramento Bee. Her condition worsened from there, despite being taken to an animal hospital at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
The dog’s death was announced on Instagram.
“We said goodbye at 9:20 this morning,” the post said. “There were no changes to her condition overnight. Goodbye my beautiful sweet girl. You are my world, my light, my best friend. The world is a much darker place.”
Wilson was walking with Eva along the Trinity River last month when a mountain lion lunged at her and scratched her shoulder.
“She was only a few yards ahead of me and attacked the lion,” Wilson wrote on a GoFundMe page to help pay for the dog’s vet bills. “They battled for a few moments until I heard her cry. The cat had her by the left side of her head. For the next several minutes i tried everything i could to free her.”
The dog had fractures to her skull, a puncture and swelling around her left eye, Wilson wrote.
On Wednesday, Wilson posted a final message on the fundraising page.
“We said goodbye,” she wrote. “We love you Eva. You’re my whole world.”
