Sarah Moore and Lindsay Golden have two adorable dogs: Winston, a Dachshund, and Mijo, a 15-year-old Chiweenie. The four of them recently visited family in mountainous Evergreen, Colorado, several miles southwest of Denver. While it’s a gorgeous place to live, there are some additional hazards for small, domesticated animals. For example: this area is home to mountain lions.
On Saturday, Moore and Golden experienced a dog parent’s worst nightmare. The dogs got out of the house by way of an open door, and within seconds a mountain lion snatched little Mijo in its jaws.
Refusing to let his size be a factor, Winston instantly chased right after the mountain lion. He barked aggressively at the big cat until it eventually dropped Mijo. Moore said she expects nothing less of her loyal pup.
“This is his best friend, so I’m not surprised that when he was screaming, that he chased after him. He’s got a lot of heart.”
Golden affectionately referred to brave Winston as “a 20 pound dog with the courage of a 200 pound dog.”
Once the cat had let Mijo go, Golden scooped the injured dog up and brought him to an emergency veterinarian.
Mijo Fights On
Obviously, such a terrifying event didn’t go without consequence. At the vet, poor Mijo underwent emergency surgery and had his eye removed. The mountain lion bit the pup on the head, leaving lacerations on his scalp and neck.
In a GoFundMe that has since been set up for Mijo’s recovery costs, Moore noted what a miracle it is that Mijo survived at all.
“It is an absolute miracle that this little guy is still alive. There is no reason one bite from a mountain lion shouldn’t have killed him. He could have easily been carried off, he could have easily suffered a broken back, neck, or a fractured skull. There is no reason that a wiener dog could have chased off a mountain lion in the middle of an attack. Yet, here he is.”
The dog has also been showing some signs of neurological damage, including seizures, so he’s still being monitored. He recently started taking anti-seizure medication. The fundraising page aims to cover the costs of this expensive care.
You never know when your life could change in an instant like this. But thank goodness for Winston, who saved his brother from what could have been a much worse fate.
H/T: Fox News
Featured Image: Screenshot, 9News.com
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