A 6-year-old Wyoming boy is being hailed as a hero after his family said he was mauled protecting his younger sister from a dog attack.
Bridger Walker put himself in harm’s way when he jumped in front of a dog last week that was charging at his younger sister, according to his aunt, Nikki Walker, on Instagram.
Despite being bitten several times on the cheek by the pooch, whose breed was not specified, the boy was able to grab his sister’s hand and bring her to safety, his aunt said.
“If someone had to die, I thought it should be me,” he told his aunt, she said.
Bridger — who was seen in photos with severe wounds on his mouth, left cheek and eye — required 90 stitches following the attack, his aunt said.
His aunt said the boy is recovering at home and his wounds are “looking so much better.”
“He’s in great spirits, and his awesome personality is intact,” she wrote on Instagram.
She said the family holds no ill will against the dog owners, who are “really great people who have been nothing but kind to Bridger and his family.”
“We feel no resentment toward them at all, and — if anything — there’s only been an increase of love between our families as a result of this incident,” Nikki said.
The aunt said she was only sharing the story in hopes of getting “some words of encouragement from his favorite heroes” — including actors Vin Diesel, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland and Chris Hemsworth.
“We love our brave boy and want all the other superheroes to know about this latest hero who joined their ranks,” she said.