A California couple lost their French bulldog, Cassie, who died after being severely injured while protecting them from a bear attack near Shasta-Trinity National Forest. On September 19 around 4 am, the bear attacked when Jeff went outside to investigate Cassie’s barking; Mallory joined him and they both suffered injuries before Cassie jumped in to fend off the bear until it was scared away by thrown objects. Despite initial recovery hopes, Cassie died two days later from her wounds.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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A California couple is grieving the loss of their beloved dog who died while protecting them from a brutal bear attack.
Jeff and Mallory Wilson’s French bulldog, Cassie, suffered serious injuries when the bear entered their rural property near the Shasta-Trinity National Forest about 175 miles north of Sacramento, near the border with Oregon, on Saturday.
As the bear was mauling Jeff, Cassie bravely jumped in to fend off the attack.
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Cassie → see → attack
The bear clamped Cassie in its jaws but dropped the diminutive dog after it was hit with a chair, thrown by Mallory.
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it → clamp → Mallory
The bear turned its attention to Mallory and continued the rampage before finally being fended off by the whole family.
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bear → turn → family
The dog was rushed to an emergency veterinary hospital to treat multiple bite wounds and deep cuts along her spine, The New York Post reported.
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Post → rush → spine
Two days after the attack, Cassie was recovering.
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Cassie → recover → attack
The 7.5-year-old dog had started walking and drinking water on her own and her parents were hopeful of a recovery.
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parents → start → recovery
But she tragically died the next morning, The Post reported.
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Post → die → ?
Friend of the couple, Rachel Moscon, said both Jeff and Mallory suffered multiple wounds to the head and body, before adding that they were saved by a 'deeply loved' member of the family.
‘In the moment Jeff needed her most, this little dog courageously put herself between him and a bear,’ she said in an online fundraiser.
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she → say → fundraiser
The attack took place in eptember 19 in the wee hours of the morning.
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attack → take → morning
Jeff woke up after he heard Cassie bark.
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Cassie → wake → ?
When he went into the garden, he saw the bear and tried to scare it off
When the bear hit Jeff, Cassie heroically came between him and the bear.
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Cassie → go → him
She suffered brual injuried while protectign his dad
Jeff recalled the events to the Redheaded Blackbelt publication, saying that he went out to check on Cassie after he heard her barking at around 4am.
When he arrived in the garden, Jeff spotted the bear cornered between the house’s small fence and its open gate and yelled to scare it away.
‘I think the bear was startled by us just as much as we were startled [by it],’ Jeff told the outlet.
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Jeff → suffer → outlet
Alarmed by Jeff, the wild bear charged and knocked him backward.
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bear → alarm → him
That’s when Cassie jumped in, growling and snarling, to save her dad.
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Cassie → ’ → dad
Hearing a scream, Mallory went to check on Jeff not knowing a bear attack was in progress.
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attack → hear → progress
She went outside to see the bear holding the French Bulldog in its mouth, she told the outlet.
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she → go → outlet
After Mallory threw a chair, Jeff shoved a patio heater into the bear, causing the wild beast to finally break off the attack and run away.
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beast → throw → attack
The little injured Frenchie hid itself in the garden.
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Frenchie → hide → garden
‘She was never meant to be a hero, she was not our guard dog.
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she → mean → ?
She was just our sweet indoor lap baby,’ Mallory said.
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Mallory → say → ?
Mallory, Cassie's mom described her as a 'funny' and 'incredibly brave' dog.
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Mallory → describe → dog
The French bulldog was 'never meant to be a hero,' Mallory said
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Mallory → mean → ?
The couple's GoFundMe page revealed that Jeff ‘suffered two broken ribs and numerous bite and claw wounds,’ while Mallory ‘sustained serious injuries to her head and face, and other bite and puncture wounds.’
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Mallory → reveal → head
The attack also caused substantial property damage, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
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Chronicle → cause → damage
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking into the incident, with spokesperson Peter Tira telling the Redheaded Blackbelt that bear attacks like this are rare.
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attacks → look → this
Jeff and Mallory, who are now recovering from the injuries, told the San Francisco Chronicle that they have asked that the animal not be euthanized.
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animal → recover → Chronicle
The loss, however, has left them ‘heartbroken’.
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loss → leave → them
‘We are heartbroken that she ever had to be in the position to fight for her life.
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she → have → life
We believe her actions helped save our lives,’ Mallory told KRON4.
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Mallory → believe → KRON4
Mallory described the French bulldog as a ‘funny, stubborn, loving, incredibly brave, and completely devoted' pet.
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Mallory → describe → pet
The Aporia
