Brave Dachshund Saves His Best Dog Friend From Mountain Lion Attack

If you think only humans can forge strong friendships with each other, think again. The following story about a dog and his pal will prove that these animals would do anything for their loved ones – including their four-legged best friends.

Winston may be a tiny dachshund, but he’s got a big heart and tremendous amounts of courage. He proved that to everyone when he rescued his buddy Mijo, a 15-year-old rescue chihuahua/dachshund mix, from a mountain lion attack.

Their owners, Sarah Moore and Lindsay Golden, said they were visiting family up in Evergreen, Colorado, when the frightening incident happened.

Winston and Mijo escaped from the house through an open door, and within seconds, a mountain lion pounced on Mijo and grabbed the dog in its jaws.

Instead of retreating in fear, Winston fiercely barked and charged at the large cat until it let go of his friend. Once Mijo was freed, his owner, Lindsay, wrapped him up and rushed him to the nearest emergency veterinarian.

Mijo suffered from multiple injuries during the attack, including bites on his head and lacerations on his scalp and neck. Sadly, his right eye also popped out of its socket.

The doctors performed surgery to remove his damaged eye and close all of his wounds. They also took x-rays, and miraculously, the pup had no skull fractures of any kind.

Mijo is hurt but alive, and it’s all thanks to his hero and buddy, Winston.

“This is his best friend, so I’m not surprised that when he was screaming, that he chased after him,” Sarah, the brave dachshund’s owner, told 9 News. “He’s got a lot of heart.”

Lindsay couldn’t be more grateful to Winston for saving Mijo’s life.

“[A] 20-pound dog with the courage of a 200-pound dog,” she described him.

With the medical bills piling up, Sarah took it upon herself to organize a GoFundMe for Lindsay and Mijo.

“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,” Sarah wrote.

“There is no reason that a wiener dog could have chase off a mountain lion in the middle of an attack. Yet, here he is,” she added.

According to the fundraiser, Mijo appears to have incurred permanent brain damage from the trauma. Lately, the poor dog has also been under heavy medication and is still getting used to having only one eye.

His owners also noticed that he had a “seemingly uncontrollable urge to walk in right hand circles.” This means the dog can’t reach his food and water bowl anymore without help. Mijo has also been having seizures that would last for a few minutes.

Doctors said he seems to have a right cortical deficit, and getting an MRI is the only way to know if it’s a blood clot that is causing that and the seizures.

On November 20, Lindsay’s fears were confirmed: the vet said Mijo was showing classic symptoms of “significant brain damage.”

He was prescribed long-term seizure medication, which will need to be administered every eight hours.

According to the most recent update made on November 22, Mijo hasn’t had any seizures for a week, which means the new medication seems to be helping.

Hundreds of donors have contributed to help Lindsay cover Mijo’s medical bills. So far, the fundraiser has collected $12,715.

If you would like to help Lindsay with Mijo’s future medical bills, you can donate to her GoFundMe.

Watch the video below to learn more about this incredible story of bravery and friendship.