Pickles the 5-Pound Dog Dies Saving Family after Bear Breaks into Their Home
A family from Black Mountain, North Carolina, is grieving the loss of their dog, Pickles, who gave his life while protecting his family.
At just 5 pounds, the innocent-eyed, dark-furred Pickles doesn’t seem like much of a guard dog.
But after a fatal incident on August 31, Pickles will always be remembered in the Merrill household as the best guard dog of all time.
Tiffany Merrill described Pickles as a snuggly companion who wanted nothing more than just to be with her, according to WLOS. Pickles was beloved by Merrill’s children, who are still coming to terms with the loss.
Merrill said that on Friday morning, she opened the sliding glass door of her home to let Pickles go outside.
When she returned to the door to call for Pickles, Merill was terrified to see that a bear had entered her house.
“I started yelling for my kids,” Merrill recalled. “Shut your doors! Shut your doors! There’s a bear in the house!”
That’s when Pickles showed up and lured the bear back outside by barking.
“My dog came out, started barking and got the bears attention, and got the bear outside and he saved my life,” an emotional Merrill said.
Merrill described the gut-wrenching, helpless feeling that welled up inside her as the bear attacked her dog.
“There was nothing I could do,” said Merrill. “I wanted to go out there and jump on the back of the bear and save my dog.”
Now, the Merrill family is grieving the traumatizing loss. Talking about what they loved about Pickles has been soothing for Merrill’s children.
Emily Merrill, Tiffany’s daughter, will miss the nighttime snuggles and the constant presence of her pup, who was small enough for Emily to scoop into her arms.
“The most thing I liked about Pickles was how he would put us to bed,” Emily said. “And if someone was here he would just lay next to us.”
The sudden absence of a beloved pet can weigh heavily on a grieving family.
The Merrill family is devastated that Pickles is gone, but they are forever thankful he was their pet, knowing that his presence is the reason they can still embrace.
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