Dogs are part of our family. These loyal creatures would do anything for us. A California man repaid that loyalty by taking on a wild bear to save his rescue dog, Buddy.

The night before Thanksgiving, Kaleb Benham’s dog Buddy was playing outside. Kaleb heard a strange growl.

When he looked up, he was greeted with the horror of a 350 pound bear dragging 90 pound Buddy about 100 feet away. The pitbull’s head was in the bear’s mouth.

Most of us would think all hope was lost. But, Kaleb’s adrenaline kicked in.

This dog dad had to save Buddy and he was willing to risk his life to do exactly that.

Buddy Suffers Life Threatening Injuries
Kaleb charged and tackled the enormous bear and then punched it in the head until it let go of the beloved dog.

While Kaleb was somehow unharmed, Buddy was left with life threatening injuries and they needed to hurry to save him.

“If it was your kid, what would you do. That’s my kid, I would die for my dog,” the brave dog owner said.

It was the night before a major holiday during a pandemic. First Kaleb was forced to fight a bear. Next, he had to find a vet who was open at this time.

The first veterinarian he tried was closed due to a COVID case. He thought he would lose Buddy due to the extent of his injuries.

Before time ran out, Halen found Mother Lode Veterinary Hospital. Buddy endured three hours of emergency surgery that saved his life.

A video showing Buddy’s injuries is below.

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 Twomey (@TwomeyMedia) December 4, 2020

Buddy is a rescue dog. Kaleb found the pitfall in a shelter several years ago. They have been inseparable ever since. They are a family now.

Dog’s Bear Attacker Returns
Buddy was able to be home with Kaleb on Thanksgiving Day. They had a lot to be thankful for, but there still is a lot of concern.

The bear continues coming back looking for revenge – and to finish his meal. Kaleb is certain the bear wants to finish Buddy off.

“It made an attack and had its food, and its food got taken from it, and it wants it back,” he said.

That bear apparently didn’t learn its lesson the first time. Kaleb continues to be on guard to protect his best friend, Buddy.

You can see Kaleb recount the deadly bear encounter with his best friend Buddy in the video below.