Vicious bear mauls couple until their French bulldog intervenes with tragic consequences

A late-night encounter with a black bear turned tragic for a Northern California couple after the animal mauled the homeowners and fatally injured their French bulldog.

The dog reportedly tried to protect them during the vicious attack, which left them hospitalized.

In the early morning hours of Sept. 19, Jeff and Mallory Wilson's dog, Cassie, let out a single bark — prompting Jeff Wilson to go outside and check the backyard of their Trinity County home.

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When he opened the door, a cinnamon-colored black bear emerged from behind their patio furniture, lunging at him and knocking him to the floor. 

The commotion woke his wife — who went outside and was then also attacked by the bear, according to a GoFundMe organized by a longtime friend of the married couple.

"I think the bear was startled by us just as much as we were startled by it," Wilson later told the news site Redheaded Blackbelt.

During the attack, their dog Cassie threw herself between Wilson and the bear, which grabbed the dog in its mouth and started to run away with it, according to reports. 

The owners got the bear to drop their dog and finally scared it off. 

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Though badly wounded themselves, the couple rushed their dog to emergency care. The pet underwent surgery to treat multiple wounds, including along her spine — but "tragically died two days" after the incident, according to the fundraising page.

The page described the pet as "a deeply loved member of their family."

Jeff Wilson, meanwhile, suffered two broken ribs and numerous bite and claw wounds, while Mallory Wilson sustained serious injuries to her head and face, and other bite and puncture wounds. 

Each is facing continued medical treatment and recovery, the fundraising page says.

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The Wilsons own Radio Ranch, an off-the-grid "glamping" retreat in Trinity County, according to reports. The couple "[has] years of experience living and working alongside wildlife, and [takes] precautions to peacefully coexist with the animals that share their land," the GoFundMe notes.

"We chose to live in rural Northern California because we treasure being surrounded by the natural world and the wildlife with whom we share it," the couple told KRON4. 

"This was an unprovoked and extraordinarily unusual encounter that none of us could have anticipated."

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"We can grieve Cassie and be devastated by what happened while still respecting the wild animals that belong in these places," they added.

"They are passionate animal lovers, which has made this extraordinarily rare encounter and the loss of Cassie heartbreaking on so many levels," the GoFundMe write-up noted. 

Jeff Wilson told local news outlets he believes the bear may have been startled after becoming cornered between a fence and gate at their home.

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The attack has led the Wilsons to cancel Radio Ranch reservations while they recover and cooperate with an ongoing investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

The fundraiser aims to help cover the couple's medical bills, veterinary costs, property damage and the expense of hiring help while they recover. 

As of Saturday afternoon, it raised over $16,000 of its $20,000 goal. 

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Wilsons and the GoFundMe organizer for comment.

The CDFW said black bear attacks that result in injuries to humans are rare in the state, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. 

The agency advises residents to secure food and garbage that can attract bears, keep pets indoors at night when possible and fight back rather than play dead if a black bear attacks.

The incident is the latest in several high-profile bear encounters this year, including black bear break-ins around California's Lake Tahoe region and separate grizzly attacks involving a hiker in Glacier National Park and a Montana hunter, as Fox News Digital previously reported.