16-Year-Old Dog Dies Saving His Owner’s Life From A Wolf Attack

Owning a dog is one of the most wonderful experiences that a human can have. Dogs are joyful, affectionate, and always grateful for their humans! Unfortunately, though, caring for a dog is not always easy.

Besides the time, stress, and money that is involved with feeding them, walking them, cleaning them, and providing them with medical care, the hardest part about having a furry friend may be the fact that our time with them doesn’t last long. After all, our lifespans are so much longer.

One woman knew that her beloved old dog, nicknamed Steve Mason, was not going to be with her much longer. Yet his story ended in a way that nobody could have expected…

“This is Steve Mason, the most incredible dog I have ever met and my best friend of the past 16 years,” wrote an Imgur user in a post that went viral. “And this is the story of how he died saving my life one last time.”

“Steve Mason, ‘Mason’ to his friends, was a husky, Labrador, Rottweiler mutt with insanely fluffy ears and markings on his face that made it look like he was always wearing Harry Potter specs,” she said.

“I picked him out of a litter of puppies because while all the others yipped and squealed and played, he was the only one to stop and snuffle the flowers,” she continued.

“He always had this way of perking up his ears that could spur me to keep going, either to the top of a ridge line or out of what ever ridiculous angst I found myself muddled in.” It was clear this girl loved her dog and admired his perceptiveness. Little did she know that his sharp senses would come in handy—and be fatal—one day.

“He was obsessed with shortening sticks and tearing up any cardboard he could find. He was extremely meticulous and many a vacuum cleaner died trying to tidy up his messes.”

“Mason was a best friend and rock steady companion for my older brother and a traveling companion like no other. And every time he saw my brother, even if five years had gone by, he’d still try and jump in his arms like a puppy.”

“Everyone who met him came away saying that he was a remarkable dog, and many could honestly say he was the nicest person they’d ever met.” Mason may not have technically been a “person,” but it was already abundantly clear that others knew how special he was.

“Over the past two years he began to show his age. His hearing and much of his eyesight abandoned him, along with his sense of balance.” Every dog owner dreads the day that this happens to their best friends, but they must come to terms with the fact that their pet’s health will begin to decline eventually.

When the signs of aging begin to show, it’s natural to wonder when—and how—your precious pooch is going to live out his last day. “I kept expecting him to die in his sleep or collapse on a hike,” the Imgur user said.

“My worst fear was that he would grow so old and infirm that we’d have to put him down. I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to go through what I’ve had to do for so many other dogs with him.”

“He was far too special. He just seemed so old,” she continued. “But he just kept on going, refusing to take it easy. He moved slower, and couldn’t go as far, but he never seemed to mind.”