Heroic Hudson Valley Dog Sacrifices Life to Save Pals From a Bear

A local dog stood up to a black bear to save his fellow canines.

The brave English Setter named "Pete" passed away from his injuries this week, but not before his sacrifice spared the lives of a dog handler and his pups. The whole story was recounted on the Social Media accounts of Me And My Shadow Pet Sitting and Dog Walking in Greenwood Lake.

The older foster dog was adopted by the pet sitting service 18 months ago. Pete was out for a walk with his owner and a pack of other dogs in Greenwood Lake when the group startled a black bear. According to a post on the company's Instagram account, Pete stood up to the bear and held his ground while the owner and the rest of the pets could escape to safety. The post goes on to explain, "Once I was sure (the rest of the dogs) were safe, I went back and scared the bear off, but Pete was gravely injured."

The business owners were able to get Pete to the hospital where x-rays revealed the heroic pup sustained serious injuries. The dog suffered spinal damage that was so bad even multiple surgeries wouldn't make it possible for him to ever walk again. Pete's owners made the impossible decision to put him down this week. The owners say Pete's sacrifice shows just how special older rescue dogs can be.