Dog Fights Off Coyotes to Protect Kid After Deadly Car Crash

Most dogs make for

, but Sako takes it to a whole new level.Last June on a family fishing trip, tragedy struck. While driving home, Joseph Phillips-Garcia, his aunt, cousin, friend, and dog Sako, ran their car off the road. Their car ended up careening the length of a football field down a steep hill and was destroyed upon impact.

By chance, Joseph and Sako were thrown from the vehicle and clear of the wreckage. Unfortunately, nobody else was that lucky. Joseph's aunt, cousin, and friend all perished in the crash.Once he came to, Joseph noticed that a portion of his leg bone was sticking out of his leg and causing him to bleed profusely.All the while, Sako

. In a situation that could have easily caused the frightened dog to turn tail and run off into the woods, Sako proved that he would do anything to keep his family safe.While Joseph was lost in the woods, Sako laid along side him to help comfort and calm him. What's more, authorities believe that this snuggling likely helped save Josephs life. The warmth of Sako's body acted like an insulator,  regulating Joseph's body temperature, thereby preventing him from going into shock.And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Sako also helped Joseph wend his way over to a creek so he could stay hydrated, and also

.

“We were just falling asleep, and that’s when you hear the first couple of howls,” said Joseph. “He got up as soon as he realized their scent was coming closer and closer, and then he just went in. You could hear them just fighting and the bushes rumbling around.”After

, a search team finally found Joseph and Sako. And thanks to Sako, Joseph made it out alright. If it were not for Sako’s care, Joseph would have likely succumbed to shock and passed away before anyone came to find him.

Because of his valor, Sako was recently entered into the

.