A hero dog has died after saving a two-year-old boy from a huge wolf that burst into the family’s garden.
The brave mongrel, named Destiny, leapt in front of the toddler as the predator charged across the lawn.
The seven-year-old crossbreed – believed to be a Swiss shepherd-Labrador mix weighing around 22kg – fought fiercely but was savaged and dragged into the woods.
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Mum Paula, 40, and dad Tommaso, 39, were preparing a barbecue at their home in Orbicciano, a wooded hamlet near Camaiore in Tuscany, Italy, when the nightmare unfolded on Saturday evening (18 Jul).
Paula was in the kitchen while Tommaso worked the grill nearby.
Their little boy was playing happily with Destiny in the unfenced garden.
The wolf, believed to be a male weighing 60-70kg, immediately targeted the small child.
Destiny, described by her owner as normally timid, positioned herself between the boy and the beast and barked at the predator.
Tommaso told reporters: “She saved me and my son.
“She was always a scaredy-cat who barked at strangers, but in that moment she was fearless.”
Paula recalled hearing yelps and rushing out to see the wolf with Destiny clamped in its jaws by the throat.
She said through tears: “It carried her off like she was a rabbit.”
The couple chased the animal into the undergrowth, suffering cuts and bruises as they went.
Tommaso reached a stream and found Destiny’s body, but it was already dark and the wolf was still nearby.
Fearing another attack, the couple and a neighbour who joined them decided it was too dangerous to retrieve her in the pitch-black woods and retreated.
The body had vanished by morning – likely taken by the wolf or others in the pack.
Only her head, a paw and tail remained when they returned at first light.
The family had moved into their dream home just months earlier.
They rescued Destiny as a puppy seven years ago after she was abandoned in a sack.
Paula said: “If it hadn’t been for Destiny, I don’t know what would have happened to our boy – or the other children nearby.”
The local police carried out checks after a series of recent wolf sightings close to homes in the area.
An environmental group has warned of the growing threat from around 1,000 wolves in Tuscany and called for action to protect rural communities.
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