An elderly, half-blind dog has been hailed a hero after fighting off a bear from her family's New Mexico property.
Honey, 12, was severely injured on the evening of March 3 after defending the Martinez family farm in the foothills of Cordova.
'She's our little savior. She's been nicknamed the bear slayer, and we've just come to find out that the bear slayer is afraid of the vacuum cleaner,' owner Denise Martinez told KOB4.
Denise noticed the dog 'tracking something' in the yard that night, but she couldn't tell what it was.
On their family farm, Honey had become caretaker to the land, scoping out potential threats to the family and livestock using her animal instincts and impressive sense of smell.
The next morning, Denise's daughter Leanna found Honey lying helplessly on the driveway with major injuries to her face, head and neck.
'Her face was swollen on the left, so I turned her head like to the right, and that's when I saw her whole neck was just ripped from the back all the way down,' Leanna said.
The swelling made their beloved dog completely unrecognizable.
Honey is 12 years old and was left blind in one eye from a porcupine attack
Daughter Leanne (left) and mother Denise (right) Martinez found Honey in the driveway the morning after the attack and rushed her to the emergency vet
All signs pointed to a terrifying bear, fresh from hibernation and ready to pounce on the family's livestock.
Fences and trees on their property were adorned with massive scratch marks and security camera audio captured the beast's ferocious roar, reported the Guardian.
But thanks to Honey, not one of the family's 60 chickens or two horses was harmed by the vicious bear.
Another family dog, Zoe, also came face to face with a bear but only suffered a scratch and bump to the head, thanks to Honey's bravery.
Denise and Leanna rushed the dog to an emergency veterinarian, but the quote they were given left them terrified that they could not afford to save Honey.
Instead, they turned to Española Humane's new low-cost clinic, where her injuries were treated for a fraction of the price.
The family said Honey had become the caretaker of their property
The New Mexico-based non-profit raises money to provide shelter and medical care to thousands of animals.
In a social media post about Honey's attack, the organization called her injuries 'catastrophic.'
'A devastating degloving wound from her neck up into her face. Deep punctures,' it read.
'Unbelievable bruising and swelling. Lacerations that told the story her voice never would.'
Honey was treated with heavy bandaging and medication.
She requires constant care due to a deep, open wound that will take months to heal.
Honey is quite the warrior, having been rendered half blind by a porcupine attack years prior. She'd also previously survived parvo.
The Martinez family lives on a farm in New Mexico with more than 60 chickens, two horses and multiple dogs
Thanks to Honey's courage, no other animals were injured in the terrifying attack
Honey was treated at Española Humane's new animal clinic, which offered cost-effective care to families
The virus is a highly contagious disease that attacks white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tracts of dogs and wolves, per the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Denise said she and her family are 'beyond grateful' to Española Humane for saving Honey's life without an immense financial burden.
'The care, compassion and support they've given through her recovery and dressing changes made the impossible possible for us,' she wrote on social media.
'Without them, we wouldn't have been able to afford the care she needed. They truly gave our Honey a second chance and we will never forget it.'
The Daily Mail contacted the Española Humane Society and the Martinez family for comment.