4 days ago
'She knew to save me': Alaska woman says dog died protecting her from moose attack
The Brief
An Alaska woman and her dog were attacked by a moose while hiking in Kincaid Park.
The woman's 15-year-old dog, Daisy, repeatedly intervened to protect her and was fatally injured.
The woman suffered a broken wrist and says Daisy saved her life during the attack.
ANCHORAGE - An Alaska woman is mourning the death of her beloved dog after they were both trampled by a mother moose.
Barb Ashton said Daisy, a yellow lab golden retriever mix, was 15 years old.
The backstory
Ashton said last month, she, her sister, and Daisy went for a hike in Kincaid Park when they spotted a mother moose near her calf.
The moose charged the sisters, and they split up and ran.
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Ashton said she turned and saw the moose go up to Daisy, who didn't see the animal.
"The moose lined up behind her [Daisy], kicked her in the air, and kicked her some more," Ashton sobbingly told FOX Television Stations.
Then the moose went after Ashton.
"The moose had me down, it had knocked me down and started stomping on me," she continued.
Ashton's sister was able to call 911 while the moose continued to attack, she said.
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Ashton said while the moose was trampling on her, Daisy repeatedly tried to intervene.
"As the moose was stomping on me, my 15-year-old dog, who does not run, she had mobility issues, was able to get up and run and draw the moose off me," Ashton explained. "She [Daisy] got kicked a second time, and I started to move, and the moose came back and stomped on me some more and my dog got up one more time and ran and got the moose off me again."
"But she knew what to do. She knew to save me," Ashton said.
Ashton said Daisy suffered severe injuries, and she made the decision to put her dog down. Meanwhile, Ashton suffered a broken wrist and bruising.
What they're saying
Ashton believes Daisy said her life that day.
"She was truly my guardian angel," Ashton said. "Without her, we never would have made it. '
What's next
Ashton said she's now terrified of moose to the point where she will not go hiking or walking, even around the neighborhood, because of the moose population.
"You can walk out your front door, and the moose will be there," she added. "I won't walk alone anymore. I won't walk in the woods anymore, and it's going to take a while to heal from this, for sure."
Ashton said wildlife authorities investigated but said the moose had moved on and didn't close the trail.
Dig deeper
Ashton said she'll continue to find ways to keep Daisy's memory alive.
"Daisy was the sweetest girl on the face of the planet," Ashton said. "She was a pet therapy dog at one point. She'd lost her hearing. She'd had cancer. She survived."
"But she knew what to do. She knew to save me."
The Source
The information in this story comes from an interview Barb Ashton gave to FOX Television Stations, where she recounted the events of the moose attack, her injuries, and the heroic actions of her dog Daisy. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
